New Horizons
by Iwanita
Summary: Sequel to 'New Priorities'. Post ROTF. An unexpected visit. A unique chance. A new adventure. A new threat. Decepticon centered, appears an OC.
1. Visit

**Author's Note:**

**Important:** This is a **sequel** from my first fanfiction _'New Priorities'_. If you haven't read it, this is story going to sound very odd to you. Consider yourselves warned. (And this is also the reason why the summary is so succinct: I don't want to spoil the first story if you haven't read it.)

Thank you for all the reviews on my first fic. They encouraged me to make this sequel. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Also, I would like to remember that English is not my first language. If you find any grammatical mistakes, don't panic, just tell me in the comments and I will fix them ASAP.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any transformers character. They are © to Hasbro.

[Key:]

"Regular speech"  
><strong>"Cybertronian speech"<strong>  
>::Comm. Link::<br>_/Recorded message/_

[Time key: (from TF wiki)]

Klik: 1.2 minutes  
>Breem: 8.3 minutes<br>Joor: 6 hours  
>Quartex: 1 month<br>Vorn: 83 years

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1: Visit<span>

Eleonor glanced absently through the window. It had stopped raining. The Nevada desert received scarce precipitation during the year, but it still rained once a while, especially during the winter and early spring. It was April now.

She stretched her legs under the table, and closed her laptop, giving a tired yawn. She stood and walked slowly to the main entrance of the hangar.

"Good afternoon, little one." Rumbled a deep regal voice just as she stepped outside.

Eleonor felt how all her hairs stood on end.

"Optimus!" She raised a hand to her chest, feeling her heart beating at high speed. "You are going to give me a heart-attack!"

"I apologize, it was not my intention." The Autobot leader Replied sheepishly, leaning against the hangar wall.

"What were you doing here, out in the rain?"

"I must confess it intrigues me. On cybertron it doesn't rain. And here on Earth we had the bad luck of settling down in the middle of a desert, so we don't get to see it often."

"I am sure that Ironhide is very happy with that." She giggled, remembering how the weapon specialist hated anything minimally wet. Optimus let loose a deep chuckle.

"Good for him. But still, I have read that water is a very important element for every living being on this planet, and I wanted to know more about it."

"And you will, in a few days." She replied with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?" He asked curious, with a tilt of his head.

Eleonor's expression softened as she inhaled the clean and fresh air after the rainfall. She worked in the laboratory with Perceptor and helped Ratchet with everything she could, but Eleonor had also taken the duty of teaching the Autobots about Earth. From culture to science. Of course they could search things in the Internet, but they still needed some help to relate concepts. For example, in this particular case, Optimus knew very well what water was just by typing it into Google, but how could he understand the influence that water had in living beings, climate, geography, etc?

"Water brings life." She said with a mysterious aura. "You'll see. Just be patient."

The Autobot leader nodded and continued to stare at the distance. The sun was peeking out from behind the dark clouds again, pouring its light over the reddish rocks and dust that composed the landscape. Eleonor was also looking at the beautiful post-rainfall scenery, although she could not help scrutinizing the skies every time she looked to the heavens. Her expression changing into resigned sorrow as she looked back to the ground. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Optimus.

"He will visit some day." He said sympathetically.

Eleonor felt a sharp pang inside her.

"He better not..." She whispered, although even she didn't believe her words. "Earth is packed with resentful Autobots waiting for a chance to get revenge on the Decepticons." The Decepticons had revived Cybertron successfully using a recreated Allspark, but had exiled the Autobots to Earth after that. Millions of years of war could not be easily forgotten. "He would be an easy target."

"He had never been an easy target, even outnumbered." Chuckled Optimus, and he was silent for a while before speaking again, remembering how things had ended. "It has been still, a most favourable outcome of the war. Cybertron is safe. Earth is safe, as is human kind. And as long as we don't cross paths we both would be safe. Although I still worry about the Earth governments. Some of them are not very pleased with our presence here. And I don't want to cause trouble."

"Hmm..." Hummed Eleonor as she fell in deep thought for some seconds. "What about the Moon or Mars? They are not very far for your spaceship technology, and you don't need air or water. You won't be our guests, but our space-neighbours instead." She said.

"You want us to leave?"

"No, no, Optimus. Please don't get me wrong." Suddenly, she felt horribly for what she had just suggested. "I was just stating a 'plan B' strategy... oh Primus, what was I thinking...I didn't mean it like that..."

"Easy, I know you didn't mean it like that. Don't worry." He said with his reassuring baritone voice.

"Please, Optimus. I know it is selfish to make decisions based only in one person but... " She had a lump in her throat by now. "The Decepticons left... if you and your Autobots leave too... I don't know..."

"Shh, it's alright." He didn't let her finish. "Don't worry." He gave a small smile. "Besides, I made a promise that I intend to keep."

"...Thank you..." She said with a brief smile. Optimus smiled back, and they continued admiring the landscape.

* * *

><p>::Optimus, Ah have somethin' on the radar.:: Informed Jazz through the comm. link.<p>

::Human, Autobot or... Decepticon?:: Demanded to know the Autobot leader.

::Ah don't know yet.::

::Who is on patrol around the perimeter of the base right now?::

::Mirage and Warpath.::

::Warpath? I thought he was scheduled the next week.:: Asked Optimus in disbelief.

::Ironhide was scheduled today, but it was rainin', so he literally begged Warpath to exchange one day of his patrol duty. And ya know Warpath is not the kind of mech who minds getting wet or dirty, so he agreed.:: Explained Jazz.

::This could be a problem. Inform them of the incoming unknown entity, and tell them to not engage in combat unless necessary. Specially Warpath.::

::Yes, Sir. Jazz out.::

Optimus sighed audibly through his vents. Warpath was an Autobot, but he was more violent than many Decepticons. That, combined with his huge size, heavy armor and very heavy firepower made him a fearsome mech, even more than Ironhide himself. And the worst thing was that, unlike Ironhide, he had some discipline issues, and sometimes was difficult to control, especially when Decepticons were involved.

Eleonor saw the Autobot leader tense as he stood. He was silent for some seconds, and she knew that he was speaking through his comm. link with someone. His face-plates were set in a grim expression.

"Please, Eleonor, go inside and take cover. There is something approaching and we don't know yet what it is." He said.

She was about to respond when she felt her smartphone vibrate inside her pocket. She unlocked the screen. A message had arrived. It had no sender. It's only content was a drawing. A star.

"Optimus!" She tried to say but she was cut by a familiar roaring of engines above them.

"That Pit-spawned son of a glitch! How dare he come here? I'm going to make him scrap!" Bellowed a deep voice not very far from them. A fearsome tank was approaching.

"Warpath, hold your fire! That's an order!" Commanded Optimus. Eleonor flinched at the imposing tone of the Autobot leader. He didn't usually use that rough tone on his troops.

"Are you serious, Prime? First you gave them our planet and now you are going to give them our base on Earth?" Retorted the tank, as he raised his huge turret and aimed, firing a row of three blasts to the seeker that was circling the base high in the air. Eleonor gasped horrified as the jet easily barrelled and dodged the incoming fire.

"Stop, please!" She cried.

"I don't take orders from a human!" Snorted the tank as he fired more blasts to the sky.

"But you take orders from me! And I command you to hold your fire!" Roared Optimus as he grabbed the tank's cannon turret and pushed it down to prevent him from shooting to the sky again. "You are spending three days in the brig for this insubordination. Do you want your cannon dismounted too?"

Warpath groaned but ceased his fire, transforming back to mech mode, his turret cannon still protruding from his chest.

"Everyone hold your fire." Repeated Optimus to everymech that had came outside the base to see what happened.

The distinctive beige jet with black markings was still soaring above the base, with an innocent aura. Eleonor could not stop staring at him. After a while, he nose-dived to the nearest landing platform and pulled out at the last moment, transforming mid-air with a swift and elegant motion and landing neatly on his raptor-like legs. His trademark landing.

"It's _him_..." Whispered Eleonor for herself. She could not believe her eyes.

The seeker stretched his wings and smirked evilly to the Autobots that were glaring daggers at him, their discontent written on their face-plates.

"Hello, Prime. I see that you still have discipline issues among your ranks." He chuckled with malice.

"Alone in an Autobot base, surrounded by angry Autobots, and you still have the urge to piss them off?" Retorted Ratchet, appearing from the hangar.

"What can I say? I have some discipline issues myself." Shrugged the seeker with a sly grin.

"Starscream!" Beamed a small voice from within the crowd. Eleonor darted across the forest of mech legs, heading for the landing platform.

"Well, I see my little pet has not forgotten me!" He teased as she saw her running for him. He felt a small pang in his spark as he felt a little dejavú. The last time she had intended to run to him like that in the Autobot base she had been shot. She almost died that day.

He took a step forward and crouched, actually feeling relief when she practically jumped on his left servo, he stood, curling his right protectively around her. Almost everymech flinched at the sight of the fragile human surrounded by the dangerous claws of the seeker, but Optimus had not objected, and the woman seemed at ease.

"How could I ever forget you, Sir?" She asked, back to her formal self, her eyes still focused on him. Actually, she didn't want to look at anything else at the moment.

"Of course you couldn't. You are my loyal assistant after all. Despite been surrounded by Autobot filth for three years." He smirked with his arrogant attitude.

"What brings you here, Starscream?" Asked Optimus, approaching. His tone cautious, but showing no hostility.

"Can't I come and visit my fellow Autobots once a while and check how's doing my little pet?" He teased. He knew it hurt Optimus more than Eleonor to call her 'pet'. "By the way, are you feeding her right? I think she has lost weight..." Added the seeker, shaking her slightly in his servos to emphasize his point. Eleonor just chuckled at the funny remark and grabbed a claw for balance.

"Just don't get yourself in trouble while you are here. You know the rules." Warned Optimus.

Starscream rewarded him with a sly grin and was about to return his human to the ground when he heard the loud whine of a weapon capacitor been loaded. And it had to be very big because it almost sounded like Shockwave's. His seeker sensors sharpened in a nanosecond and he was instantly aware of the incoming attack. The seeker spun around and crouched protectively over Eleonor as the blast passed right behind him, scorching the edge and flap of his left wing.

"Warpath!" Bellowed Optimus, his patience lost.

But before the Autobot leader could do anything, the seeker had left the young woman safely on the ground beside him and had jumped over the huge tank, sinking his clawed feet deep into the armor.

Warpath, still in his alt-mode, could not reach the seeker because he was perched over him. So, he transformed, only to find himself pinned to the ground when the transformation ended, face down. He heard Starscream's null-ray unsheathing and his weapon capacitors whining very close to his head.

"Starscream!" Roared Optimus. This was getting deadly serious.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." The seeker shook his helm in disappointment, ignoring Optimus. "First you ignore a direct order from a superior..." He growled low. "...And not happy with that, you scorch one of my wings..." He teared some cables in Warpath's flank with his clawed foot, earning a pained howl from the mech. "...Most importantly, endangering a human in the process..." He hissed menacingly, sinking his claws deeper in Warpath's armor. "...I should end you, right here, right now. But I'm sure Prime would be annoyed with that. And even I know it's better not to piss off your leader..."

"I was aiming for you, not the human!" He retorted, trying to ignore the pain from his flank.

Optimus and Ironhide appeared from each side. Starscream looked at them and nodded in silent reply, getting off the pinned mech as the Autobot leader and his weapon specialist grabbed him.

"Move out!" Roared Ironhide, dragging Warpath in the direction of the brig. If Ratchet wanted to repair him it was going to be there. It was not a life-threatening injury after all.

"Anyone else wants to disobey a direct order from me?" Asked Optimus to the remaining mechs on sight. Silence was his answer. "Good. Now, back to your own business!" He bellowed, his patience lost for the day. Slowly, most of the present mechs disappeared from sight, back to what they were doing before the show.

Starscream hissed, his combat sub-routines deactivating and focusing his attention now in the damage reports and pain errors across his HUD. His left wing hurt. He turned back to see how was Eleonor, and found her exactly where he had left her on the ground. She was very still with shock written across her features.

Eleonor knew that Starscream was a warrior. Of course she knew. But she had never seen him actually in combat. She was stunned by his deadly, precise and quick movements. His cold expression. He could have finished Warpath right in front of everyone before any mech could react. He was not feared by Autobots and Decepticons alike for nothing.

"Are you alright?" Asked the seeker, with a tilt of his head.

"Y-yes... a little shocked..." She said hesitantly, coming out of her momentary trance. "Oh my god, your wing!" She said suddenly, noticing his left wing. "Does it hurt?"

"A... little..." He replied, wincing slightly as he tried the flaps and found that they were no longer working. The damage was not serious, but it really hurt his sensitive wings.

"Starscream, let me see that." Said Ratchet, coming closer and pulling out his scanner. The seeker complied, although a little reluctantly. "It's not grave. And I have to repair that glitch-headed tank first or the rest of the base is going to think that you are my favourite."

"And am I not?" He teased trying to forget his pained wing with his sarcasm.

"I am sorry, Starscream... But I have a good idea." Said the medic, raising a servo.

"What now?" He groaned.

"Eleonor will start your repairs and when I'm done with Warpath I'll come to check them out and finish what's left. I have been teaching her the basics of Cybertronian medicine, and she is most qualified to do a small repair like that. You will find that she is quite competent." Explained Ratchet.

"Making yourself useful in my absence, huh, little pet?" He teased, looking incredulously to the young woman that just blushed slightly.

"Eleonor, do you remember when we repaired Silverbolt's damaged wing?"

"Yes." She replied with a nod.

"This is just the same. The equipment is still at the same hangar. Go there and start the repairs." Ratchet pointed to the hangar and left, headed to the brig.

Starscream offered his servo and Eleonor climbed without hesitation.

"Are you sure you can repair a seeker wing?" He asked, narrowing his ruby optics.

"My master would never tolerate self-doubts in his assistant." She smiled, her eyes burning with determination. The seeker remembered that phrase. And also remembered her determination.

"I have the best pet." He grinned, patting her head with a servo. Eleonor just smirked at his antics.

* * *

><p>Starscream left Eleonor on the ground and scanned the hangar. It was spacious and no other mechs were there. The young woman went to a corner and picked up a box with some human-sized tools for Cybertronian repairs and a small step-ladder.<p>

"Could you please transform back into your jet mode so I can reach the damaged area better?" She asked, polite as always.

Starscream nodded and crouched, transforming just in front of her, this time a little slower due to the pain. Eleonor stared in awe at the fluid motion of panels and machinery and heard the distinct humming of the transforming gears. It amazed her, no matter how many times she watched. The jet smiled inwardly sensing her intent stare.

Eleonor placed the step-ladder near the left wing and climbed, holding the tool-box. Now she could see very clearly the extent of the injury. A good portion of the flap plating was melted beyond repair and needed replacing. The jet flinched slightly as she placed a hand on the wing, letting out a small hiss.

"I am going to disconnect the pain receptors in the area while I work." She informed, as she opened a panel and connected a small datapad, pressing the commands to shut-down the pain receptors in the left flap. The jet relaxed visibly, sinking slowly on his tires as the pain errors ceased to pop up on his HUD.

"Now... that's better..." He sighed in content. Eleonor smiled back and continued with the repairs. Picking up a new rag she started to clean the scorched area with a sterilizing solution. "Every time I come to the Autobot base they try to ground me." He groaned.

"I hope that doesn't keep you from visiting in the future." She said with concern.

"You'll have to make it worth it." He teased back playfully.

Eleonor smiled as she continued with the repairs. She dismounted the melted flaps, and worked to replace them with new ones made from a standard alloy. In a couple of days, Starscream's frame would assimilate the substitute alloy and replace it with his own Cybertronian alloy, using the replacement as a mold.

"I'm done here." She announced after a while. "I'll connect back the receptors."

"Ready." He agreed and prepared himself to receive another cascade of errors in his HUD, but it never came. His sensors just informed him of the new piece being converted to Cybertronian metal and the little stiffness of the joint as he tried to move the flap. The young woman had done a good job indeed.

"Is everything fine?" She asked, to be sure of her work.

"It's perfect. I must admit that I am surprised. Much better than expected... In fact, start packing your things. I'm firing Scalpel and taking you with me back to Cybertron." He joked, earning a content chuckle from the young woman.

Eleonor took the opportunity and ran a hand over the repaired wing. The jet tensed briefly but relaxed again, leaning into the touch. She smiled briefly at the reflex. The seeker would never admit it, but she knew he liked the caressing on his sensitive wings.

Still smiling, she descended the ladder and crossed the room, passing under the plane and running a hand on the underside of his right wing now. The jet hissed low, trying to suppress his engines from purring.

"What are you doing?" He asked intrigued. Eleonor came back with a bucket filled with water and a big sponge.

"Have you seen your underside?"

"Hmm...no..." He hummed hesitantly as he activated some peripheral cameras and sharpened his sensors. "...Damned mud-ball planet!" He exclaimed, realizing what the small human was referring to. His underside was all splashed with mud due to his neat landing over the wet ground. "This base is in the middle of the _desert_ and I still have the bad luck of-" He was cut mid-sentence as the soft soapy sponge splashed on his undercarriage, making him jump in surprise.

With a hand caressing the warm metal and the other one washing off all the mud with the sponge, Eleonor proceeded to clean the underside of the seeker's wings and belly. The jet went absolutely silent and she felt him sinking on his tires.

Starscream relaxed slowly, feeling the post-combat tension fading away with the mud. The beige seeker was a fearsome mech. Both his raw strength and his sharp mind were something to fear on the battleground. And he loved the pure terror that the mere roar of his engines inspired in his enemies.

But with Eleonor it was completely different. He didn't have to pretend or prove anything. She respected him just because of who he was. She had worked with him in the Nemesis' laboratory for a long time. Everything he commanded, she did without hesitation, never questioning him, never doubting of him. He didn't even have to shout or impose himself. Just request it, and she did it. And she was always happy to comply. He loved the feeling of blind faith and trust deposited on him, as well as her deep respect and obedience.

Starscream had come to understand some time ago one difference between Decepticons and Autobots. The Decepticons fought to _destroy_. And what they failed to destroy one day, it didn't matter because it could be destroyed another day. But the Autobots fought to _protect_, and they never gave up because if they failed to protect something one day, it was lost forever. That simple fact had made the Autobots stronger for a long time.

Of course he was not an Autobot and would never be one of them, but he still found a comfortable sense of peace at the thought of just protecting her from any harm. He still didn't like humans, but she was the exception. She was worthy in his opinion, and had proven it vastly in the past with her loyalty and her sharp mind. And the most important thing: she cared. For everyone, but specially for him, he knew it.

Screw the rest of the world. He was just plain happy to visit her. He was Megatron's Second in Command, he didn't need excuses.

"I can't believe it." Said suddenly a new voice.

The beige seeker snapped out of his momentary trance as the Autobot medic entered the hangar and saw the scene before his optics.

"What!" The jet said. "I don't like been filthy."

Ratchet smiled briefly as he approached.

"Do you know that you were actually _purring_?" Inquired the medic.

"What?" Starscream's plates shifted briefly in an attempt to transform but went back to their place as his sensors informed him of the small human presence still below him. "That is not true! I do not _purr_!"

Ratchet smirked and send him a video file through the comm. link, showing Starscream that it was true, indeed. His engines were purring loudly as Eleonor was caressing and cleaning the underside of his wings when the medic entered the hangar.

"If you ever show that video file to anyone I will tear you into so many pieces that not even tuna cans could be made with your remains..." He hissed dangerously.

"Don't worry, I'll list it under the 'patient confidentiality' label in my data-banks." He said dismissively waving a servo in the air. He approached to the repaired wing to take a look at it.

Eleonor meanwhile had finished with the cleaning and patted affectionately on the jet's flank with an apologetic smile.

"I'll talk with you later, little pet." He hissed again, now in Eleonor's direction. She shrank a little but continued to smile with no fear.

"Well, this is looking really good." Said the medic, inspecting Eleonor's work. "I don't need to make changes. Good job, Eleonor." He stated, sub-spacing his own tools and heading for the exit. "See you later, you oversized kitten!" He teased and exited the hangar quickly, as the jet snarled and unsheathed his null-ray and fired a low-powered blast at Ratchet's feet, missing him by centimetres.

Once they were alone again, Starscream transformed back to mech mode and stood proudly, stretching his wings.

"I am sorry, Sir." Whispered a tiny voice apologetically from the floor.

The seeker glanced down and frowned slightly, he offered her a servo to stand upon, as picking her up might intimidate her. He was a little annoyed, but he would never take it out on his small human. And still, she climbed with confidence into his grasp. Starscream remembered how she respected him without showing fear at the same time. He raised her to optic level and regarded her with a scowl for a moment.

"So, making it worth it?" He said suddenly, his scowl fading into a sly grin. Eleonor's face lit up.

"Did I succeed?" She asked shyly.

"Hush you." He commanded, looking suspiciously at their surroundings. "I don't want any more blackmail material going around this base.

"No, Sir!" She nodded in content.

"Good." He smirked back. "Now, I am sure you are eager to know about everything and everyone back in Cybertron, aren't you?"

"Of course!"

"Well, how about we go for a flight while I tell you?"

"That would be perfect." She smiled, barely suppressing an impulse to bounce in happiness. "Will your wing be alright?"

"Yes, without acrobatics. Come on."

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Ok, this took like... forever! But I'm back. I was looking forward to write Starscream's visit. And this was sooo cute to write... I must confess that I always wanted to write a bath/caressing scene, but I was shy until today. I hope I didn't ruin it. There is no romance, I assure you, but they are so cute together! What do you think? By the way, thank you for reading!

EDIT: Uploaded again. Revised and corrected by RevieWriter (05/06/2012).


	2. Proposal

Chapter 2: Proposal

The Autobot base shrank until it was only a small dot in the middle of the barren landscape as Starscream gained altitude. The afternoon sun was still shining just above the distant mountains, dyeing the sky with a gradient of red and orange.

"So, where are we going?" Asked Eleonor in excitement.

"I don't know. I just wanted to be out of fire range." He chuckled, his voice resonating through the cabin. "Do you want to go anywhere specific?"

"Not really. I'm just happy to enjoy the view." She replied with a shrug, staring at the landscape. The seeker gave a small laugh again.

They continued their ascension through the sky, the jet maneuvering lazily through the higher clouds.

"Well, how is everyone?" She asked. "I'm dying to know."

"Ah, Cybertron looks better than ever, my little assistant. I wish you could see it by yourself." Starscream produced a screen in the dashboard and started to display images of his home planet. Some before it was revived, and some after, so that Eleonor could compare them.

"Woah, those buildings are huge!"

"The cities have been reconstructed. The energon mines and factories are functional once again. Many mechs are back to the hobbies they had before the war in their spare time..."

"Like what?"

"Scientific research, astronomy, sports..."

"Sports?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, we have something similar to your sports back in cybertron. Only a little more rough. We are a powerful race, if we don't ease the tension with friendly competitions once a while we can blow a circuit."

"I guess the competitions are not so friendly always."

"You can bet." He chuckled. "And you wouldn't believe it, but some mechs brought back many Earth diversions to Cybertron."

"No way! Who and what?"

"Well, the video-games that Frenzy and Barricade brought with them are very popular. Thundercracker, you know he has been always the calm-tempered of my brothers, he just loves to spend the quiet afternoons watching movies in his quarters." Explained Starscream. "And many others seem to have taken a liking to movies, specially action ones. They have even built some kind of theatre to project them. But most of the time they keep asking about human references they don't catch...it's annoying."

"It's understandable."

"And I swear, more than two times I have seen Soundwave swinging his helm veeery slightly while he worked on some reports. I am sure he listens to music in his internal speakers..."

"I knew it! He is the kind of mech that secretly enjoys music!" She laughed. "And... what about Megatron? How does he spend his spare time?"

"If he has any hobby, I don't know for sure. It would be worth investigating..." He wondered with malice.

"I would not recommend to piss him off..." She said, feigning seriousness. The seeker chuckled.

"And what about Skywarp?"

"Oh, Primus... he is the worst of all!" Wailed Starscream. "He loves cartoons. And lately, he is absolutely in love with a cartoon show about small horses or something like that..." Eleonor burst in laughter. "And when he is not watching cartoons, he is pulling pranks! The last thing he did was painting a small pink horse in Brawl's armor while he was recharging... He almost ended up with his wings ripped off, but he said that it was worth it." Eleonor was laughing so hard by now that she thought she was going to suffocate right there.

"OK, and what else are the Decepticons up to now?" She said after a while, trying to regain her composure.

"We are scouting the nearest solar systems for resources. Frequently energon, minerals and metals. Establishing new colonies and new transport routes. No one has been bored, I can tell you."

"That's a great thing to hear." She smiled. "And what about you?"

"Like the good seeker I am, my specialty is scouting other planets for useful resources. I explore them, bring samples to my lab and make tests, researching new applications."

"Woah... exploring new solar systems and planets..." Eleonor's eyes were shining with just thinking about it. "Imagine all the things you could discover..."

Starscream smiled inwardly. Her scientific side was taking control of the young woman, her thirst for discoveries surfacing.

"And what about you? What have you been up to?" He asked, bringing her back to reality.

"Well, I have been learning from Ratchet the basics in cybertronian repairs, I teach the new Autobots about Earth culture, and I take care of the energon generator we designed. Oh, and I also help Perceptor in the lab. He is a nice mech, a scientist too, kind of weird if you ask me." She summarized.

"Ah, I remember him, yes he looses his mind once a while." He chuckled. "And what happened with the energy companies, did you manage to sell them your invention?"

"Better." She smirked evilly. "I caused an economical crisis when I published it for free on the Internet for everyone."

Starscream let out a dark laughter.

"You are small and weak, but you sure know how to cause the greatest damage! I have taught you well the arts of the evil!" He complimented. Eleonor laughed too, trying to sound like a movie villain letting out an evil laugh, but she ended up with a coughing fit, and Starscream chuckling in amusement.

Suddenly, the jet came to a halt and landed over a solitary peak.

"Oh, I didn't realize that we were landing." She was mesmerized by the pictures of cybertron and other galaxies to notice it.

"You were too busy chocking on your evil laugh." Teased the seeker as he opened the cockpit glass, letting in the fresh afternoon air. Eleonor glanced around, but this time she truly didn't had any idea of where they were. The landscape was predominated by mountains.

"Holy crap!" She gasped as she looked down. "I am not climbing down, Sir... With all due respect... of course." They were almost hanging over a dangerous cliff, with little to no room to climb down. Starscream just chuckled in amusement.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, seriously.

"Yes." She replied with no doubt.

"Then sit back and be still." He commanded. The glass descended again and the seat-belt glided and fastened tightly. Then, with a burst of his thrusters the jet gained altitude briefly, and Eleonor could heard the familiar sound of plates shifting and transforming gears working. The cabin changed its orientation to almost vertical, and she was very glad that the seat-belt was tightly secured.

But suddenly, the cockpit glass opened and the seat-belt unfastened. Eleonor squealed briefly as she landed unceremoniously in Starscream's servo.

"Uhh... please warn me before doing that..." She said, feeling a little dizzy. Peeking between his claws, she took a look down. Starscream's raptor-like legs and clawed feet were firmly secured on the edge of the cliff. Then she turned to their surroundings. "Amazing..." She murmured, admiring the vast mountainous landscape. She should have felt afraid to be in such a dangerous place, but she felt safe in the seeker's servos.

Starscream smiled at her confidence, and extracted a small data pad, handling it to her.

"Take a look at that." He commanded. Eleonor took her time to examine the data carefully.

"Well..." She spoke after a while. "They seem to be atmospheric gaseous compositions." She concluded. "The first one, compared Earth's, has a little more Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen... and only 5% Oxygen." She paused. "The second one is more similar to Earth's, but has a little less Nitrogen and even more Oxygen than Earth, 31%. The air pressure is similar in both of them."

"The first one is Cybertron's atmospheric composition. The second one is a new close planet that I am exploring." Explained the seeker. "Are they toxic for humans?"

"Toxic, no. But definitely, a human would die in Cybertron. There is not enough Oxygen, we need it at least in 15% composition. The second one would be more suitable for human necessities." She summarized. "As long as there is potable water too."

"It has."

Starscream raised his servo to be in optic level with her and smirked, fixing his piercing ruby glare on hers. Eleonor stared back at him questioningly and suddenly her eyes widened in realization.

"Are you trying to say..." She begun to ask but she was cut mid-sentence.

"Eleonor." He called her, still smirking openly. "I could really use some reliable help in my lab." He made a dramatic pause. "Do you want to explore a new world, in an unknown solar system, very far across the galaxies, where no human have ever been? Do you want to see new suns rising over new horizons?"

Eleonor's jaw dropped. There were so many things that could go wrong and possibly kill her, but then, it was an unique opportunity. One of those chances of a lifetime. Just like some time ago, even if she died it would be worth it. Damned scientific instinct. And damned seeker, he knew exactly how to convince her to take potentially deadly decisions.

"When are we leaving?" She beamed after a long silence, trying to find her words.

"As soon as we can, my little loyal assistant." He smirked.

* * *

><p>It was close night when Starscream and Eleonor arrived back to the Autobot base. On their way there, they have been discussing and listing all the supplies she was going to need. A lot of canned food and frozen meat and vegetables. And some Oxygen tanks...<p>

"Still, Oxygen can be dangerous at elevated partial pressures. And can also be volatile..." She remembered.

"You are going to make me regret this idea..." He groaned as he landed carefully, after making himself sure that there were no more crazy tanks on sight.

"Don't worry, I have a very simple solution." She explained. "For the travel to cybertron, I would be using a normal atmosphere air mix. Once there, we could extract the Oxygen from that new planet you discovered. And you said that we were going to spend there most of the time anyway, didn't you?"

"Yes. I established there a small lab so that I didn't have to be travelling back to Cybertron to analyze the samples."

"And the water composition you showed me on our way here is also good." She commented.

"That would be the new planet's water. The water present in cybertron has too much metal ions in dissolution, specially iron."

"I'll bet Cybertron's water is greenish-grey."

"Exactly... how would you know that?" He asked as he opened the cockpit and produced a step-ladder.

"Basic chemistry." She smiled, climbing down the jet. "If there is so little Oxygen, then iron would not oxidize. Instead, it would be reduced. And while oxidized iron is red, reduced iron is greenish." She explained.

"And because of that your blood is red." Concluded Starscream in understanding.

"Yes." She was surprised. "Have you been also studying the basics of human medicine?" She asked with a smirk as the jet transformed back to mech mode.

"Maybe." He replied, looking away, unpleasant memories surfacing. Three years ago, Eleonor had been shot right in front of him. He had held her in his servos, her blood staining everything, her life slowly draining, and he could not do anything to help her. He had felt so helpless. And if it wasn't for Ratchet, she would not be alive today. Starscream didn't want to feel so helpless again.

"Starscream... I'll be careful. I promise." She said softly, seen the troubled expression on the seeker's face-plates. The jet just nodded sharply.

"You are the cutest pair ever!" Beamed suddenly Mikaela, appearing from nowhere.

"Mikaela! Would you just grow up some day!" Groaned Eleonor, and before Starscream could unsheathe his null-ray, the offending girl had quickly ran for cover to the dining hall.

* * *

><p>"Starscream." Saluted politely Optimus as the saw the seeker peeking behind the main hangar's doors, Eleonor in his servos.<p>

"Are you going to shoot me?" Asked the seeker, narrowing his optics with mistrust.

"No. You may come in." Replied the Autobot leader, glaring back at the rest of the mechs present in the hall. They flinched. It seemed that Optimus had been lecturing them.

"Hi Starscream!" Beamed Sam, who was with Mikaela in a couch beside Bumblebee.

"Tell me that outside, brat." He taunted, growling low.

Optimus sighed in defeat. At least they were not shooting at each other. The rest of the Autobots went back to their business, just sparing quick glances in the seeker's direction once a while.

"So, did you have something to tell me, Starscream?" Asked the Autobot leader.

"Actually, yes-" But he could not finish the sentence.

Suddenly, a loud crackling noise could be heard and a glowing light shone just beside Optimus and Starscream. In a few nanoseconds, a new mech was standing there.

"Surprise!" Beamed a black mech, waving his arms on the air.

Instantly, every Autobot in the hall, except Optimus had their weapons aimed at the new mech. A collective sound of whining capacitors filled the room.

"Uh-oh..." Murmured the back mech, shrinking slightly and letting his wings drop.

"SKYWARP!" Roared Starscream, making the black seeker flinch. "What the _frag_ are you doing here?" And for everymech surprise, he unsheathed his null-ray and also aimed at his wingbrother.

"You too, 'Screamer? What a shame!" He wailed. "I just didn't want you to be alone surrounded by filthy Autobots! And this is how you thank me...? You don't love me anymore!"

"Hmm, Skywarp... are you sure of what you have just said?" Asked Eleonor meekly, peeking from behind Starscream's claws.

The black seeker glanced around him again.

"Uh... I meant... surrounded by shining and handsome Autobots!" He said sheepishly.

Optimus, the only one mech that had not unsheathed any weapon, gave a small chuckle.

"This is going to be blackmail material, you know, Skywarp." Said Optimus, with a small smirk. The black seeker grinned back, relaxing a little. "Everyone, hold your fire." He commanded, and the rest of the Autobots grumbled but sheathed their weapons, still a little reluctantly, and kept staring at the scene. Starscream pulled back his null-ray too, but continued to glare daggers at his wingbrother.

"Eleonor!" Beamed Skywarp, turning to face the little human and offered his own servo for her to climb up.

"Hi, 'Warp. How have you been?" She asked with a sincere smile.

"Oh, very good, but I have missed you so much!" He beamed, raising her between his two servos to optic level, very close to his face-plates. "I mean, there was so much work to do, it's boring! I needed a break! And I'm starting to run out of ideas for pranks, I was hoping to speak with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe if they don't shoot me... or I could ask their prank-victims. And I also have a loooong list of things the other Decepticons want from Earth! Movies, video-games, series, comics, books..." Skywarp's rant was incessant.

"Primus, grant me patience!" Groaned Starscream with a face-palm.

"...And I am sooo happy that you are _coming with us_!" Beamed Skywarp.

"What?" Screeched Optimus.

"Wait... you knew?" Screeched Eleonor.

"What do you mean 'coming with you'?" Asked Sam and Mikaela at unison with a dumbfounded expression.

Starscream groaned again, begging Primus for patience.

"What I just said!" Beamed Skywarp with joy. With one servo he held Eleonor close to his chest, and with the other one he stabbed a finger in Optimus' direction. "We are kidnapping your princess from your castle! Mwahaha!" He said, theatrically. Eleonor face-palmed at the black seeker's manners.

"Starscream, explain." Demanded the Autobot leader, with a stern expression.

"I don't have to explain anything to you, Prime!" He retorted.

"Skywarp knew it... You were very sure that I would accept the offer..." Concluded Eleonor suddenly from the black seeker's grasp, looking at Starscream. "And what if I had said 'no'? Would you have taken me with you anyway?" She asked softly, with a hurt expression.

"Don't do this to me in front of the Autobots, please..." He groaned.

Eleonor pouted.

The beige seeker sighed in defeat. He fixed his piercing ruby glare in the small human.

"I would have stolen you, kidnapped you. Because you are _mine_, and I want you by my side. Even if I had to extinguish every single Autobot spark in this base to achieve it, you would have come with me." He replied fiercely, but his gaze was soft. Eleonor realized that his vocalizer said one thing, but his optics said the opposite. No, he would never force her. She knew that instantly.

Eleonor smiled heartily.

"That's the sweetest thing ever!" Cried Mikaela in delight. "Why don't you say those things to me, Sam?"

"Because I don't want to kill anyone!" Protested the boy.

There was a collective chuckle across the room. Starscream growled and turned to glare at his wingbrother, narrowing his optics. It was Skywarp's fault that things had came out of control.

"Skywarp..." Hissed the beige seeker. The named mech stood attention. "Leave that human on the floor." His voice made blood and energon run cold. Skywarp obeyed and slowly deposited Eleonor on the floor. "Now, _run_."

"Please, Starscream, I never meant to-" He tried to explain, recoiling warily.

"RUN!" Roared the beige seeker, unsheathing his null-ray and firing at his wingbrother's feet.

"Eeep! I regret nothing!" Skywarp fled from the hangar waving his arms dramatically above his helm, Starscream chasing behind him. Outside, the roar of engines could be heard.

Eleonor sighed.

"This is ridiculous..." Murmured Ratchet with a face-palm once the two seekers were out of sight.

"Are you kidding? This is the best blackmail material ever!" Cheered Sunstreaker from the crowd.

"Do you want to cause another war?" Reprimanded Ironhide, hitting Sunstreaker in the helm with a loud 'clonk'.

"Eleonor." Called her the Autobot leader, crouching and offering her a servo. She took seat on it. "Could you please shed some light on the matter?"

"Yes, Optimus." She sighed. "Starscream has offered me the possibility of helping him to explore a new planet. He thought I would like to see new worlds that no human could ever dream of. And he is right, I would love to. So, I accepted the offer. The planet has potable water and a similar air composition to Earth's, so that would not be an issue." She explained.

"That could still be quite dangerous." He warned.

"I know... but... this is the chance of a lifetime. If I let it pass I would regret it the rest of my life, I'm sure."

"You are old enough to take decisions on your own." He paused. "However, I would like to advise you to be careful." He added with concern.

"I would be." She assured. Optimus nodded, and left her with Mikaela and Sam. Then he went to the main table to have an energon cube with his comrades.

"Eleonor!" Wailed Mikaela as she literally pounced over the young woman and trapped her in a bear hug. "We are going to miss you!" She cried. "By the way, I knew he loved you too." She added in a whisper, very close to her ear.

"Mikaela, for the love of Primus! Stop reading pink novels!" Cried Eleonor.

* * *

><p>It was late at night when the sound of jet engines could be heard again. Eleonor had spent the rest of the evening in the main hall, playing video-games with Mikaela, Sam, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Ironhide was also with them, just in case he needed to stop a fight, but he wasn't very interested in the screen.<p>

Seconds later, the two seekers came in, both with their shoulders dropped down and wings hanging low.

"Do I need to call Ratchet?" Asked Ironhide.

"I'm fine! Just a little... tired." Waved Skywarp, as he let himself drop to the floor just beside the couch. Mikaela and Sam flinched, and Bumblebee's door wings twitched. "Primus, I hurt everywhere..."

"What did you do to him, Starscream?" Asked Eleonor, inspecting the black seeker with her gaze and not finding any fire mark.

"I just chased him across the globe... _Several times_." Replied Starscream with a tired laugh. He was also exhausted, but he wasn't so melodramatic as his brother.

"Can't you teleport?" Asked Eleonor to Skywarp.

"Yes, but it's quite exhausting after the first thirty or forty attempts..." Groaned the black seeker.

"Woah, Sunny, let's practice our jet-judo, I'm sure we'll win this time!" Cheered Sideswipe.

"Uhn... I give up... You win. Now let me rest... " Whined Skywarp. "By the way, last time I pinned you down to the ground... _both_ of you..."

"He's got a point." Stated Ironhide, unexpectedly.

"Ironhide! Which side are you?" Wailed Sunstreaker. "By the way, Shockwave kicked your aft." He added, earning a low growl from the weapon specialist.

"I am too tired for this." Said the black seeker. "Can't we just skip to the part where we play video-games?"

"I never thought I would agree with a Decepticon, but _yes, please_." Sighed Mikaela in exasperation.

"Hey, you are that girl, Mikaela... and this is Sam?" Asked Skywarp, turning his attention to Bumblebee's companions.

"Humm... yes." Said sheepishly the boy, shrinking in the couch. Bumblebee crouched over him protectively. The seeker narrowed his optics.

"I am going to beat you..." He hissed dangerously, leaning closer like a predator would stalk his prey. Sam gulped hard and held his breath. "... In that fighting video-game!" He grinned, pointing to the game console. Sam let out a relieved sigh. Sure thing, when the black seeker was not in combat-mode, he was actually an easy-going mech, despite been a Decepticon.

And he was not bragging. For the next hour, Skywarp won in every single video-game they played. Fighting, car-racing and flight simulators; he was unbeatable.

"So, Skywarp... that _fireworks_ when the Nemesis left Earth... were-" Tried to ask Sunstreaker once he was bored of loosing.

"Totally yes! All my doing. I spent one Earth week in the brig, but I regret nothing!" Replied the black seeker proudly. "They don't call me the Master Pranker of the Nemesis for nothing."

"Speaking of that... I heard you wished to speak with us about some new pranking ideas..." Said Sideswipe cautiously. Skywarp nodded sharply. "Well, I guess we could reach an agreement..."

* * *

><p>When Optimus and Ratchet walked into the hall a while later, they stopped in their tracks at the sight before them. Skywarp, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were in one corner of the room, chatting and chuckling among them with an aura of conspiracy. On the other corner, the three humans were sleeping in the couch, with a movie on the television that they were no longer watching. Bumblebee and Starscream were behind them, in their alt forms, impossible to know if they were also recharging or watching the movie. Ironhide was still in mech form, seated nearby, but by the looks of him, he was probably asleep.<p>

"I think there is still hope for our race, Ratchet." Murmured the Autobot leader, smiling to his medical officer.

"Well... if Megatron took the first step to end the war... I am not going to be less than him." Replied the medic.

They walked slowly to the group of sleeping humans and mechs. The beige jet jerked briefly as his proximity sensors warned him of the approaching mechs. He was having a very slight recharge. The chase with Skywarp had surely worn him out badly, but he still was not going to let his guard down in an enemy base.

"Starscream, are you awake?" Asked Optimus quietly.

"Of course. How could I be so careless to fall asleep surrounded by Autobots?" He said, and almost lied.

The Autobot leader smiled briefly. "I just wanted to tell you that the last hangar is empty, and that there is room enough for you and Skywarp if you wish to recharge there."

"Uh... I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I left my ship in orbit. I should come back with Skywarp and rest there... safely out of reach of any trigger-happy tank." Replied Starscream. Optimus nodded in response.

Skywarp appeared grinning madly with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe hugged awkwardly in each of his arms.

"Hey, watch the paint!" Whined Sunstreaker.

"So, I take it that you are making peaces, Skywarp?" Asked Optimus.

"Not even in their wildest dreams!" He smirked. "But we still can come to an agreement that benefits everyone of us." He continued, seriously. "I may be seen like a crazy, irresponsible mech sometimes, Prime, but I assure you, I could be diplomatic too. And now, my enemies and I share a _common goal_ that is worth fighting for." He added solemnly.

"And what would that _goal_ be?" Asked the Autobot leader, intrigued.

"_Pranking_, of course!" The three naughty mechs cheered at unison.

"Primus, grant me patience." Said Optimus with a face-palm.

"By the way, Skywarp..." Asked Starscream still in jet mode. "Has Megatron been informed that you are _here_?"

"Of course!... Well, I mean... He must be informed by now... I left a note." Replied the black seeker uneasy.

Starscream was silent for a long moment.

"You left him a _note_." He stated.

"...Yep. On his desk."

"You left _Lord Megatron..._ a _note_." He sighed in disbelief, too tired to get angry again.

"Uhh... yep..." Skywarp's confidence was starting to crumble.

"You are _so_ going to die..." Warned the beige seeker ominously.

Skywarp's wings twitched and he shuddered, realizing his errors. Then he turned to Optimus pouting and pulled him into a hug. The big rig flinched in surprise but maintained his composure, although a bit awkwardly.

"Optimus! You have to hide me! I'll do anything! I'll do the patrols! I'll sweep the floor! I'll peel potatoes! But please save me from Megatron's wrath!" He whined.

"You and the lambo-twins in my base? I am sorry, Skywarp. But in order to preserve the balance of the Universe, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe must be with the Autobots, and you with the Decepticons." He replied seriously, patting him reassuringly on an arm.

"Aww... I don't want to die..." He whined.

Skywarp's whines pulled Ironhide from his slumber and he on-lined his optics in time to see the black seeker hugging Optimus while Ratchet tried fruitlessly to suppress his giggles.

"What the FRAG is going on here?" He shouted.

"I don't know exactly, but my collection of blackmail material is growing exponentially." Stated the Autobot medic.

"Oh, Primus, do you still have some patience left for me?" Sighed the beige jet absently.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** Oh, Mikaela, you are such an annoying girl!

**[A/N]2:** As I reviewed this chapter I realized one thing and laughed my aft off; do you know the _"grab my"_ meme in DeviantArt? Well, this chapter could be summarized with that meme. It could go like this:"SS: Eleonor, grab my servo!" *Eleonor grabs his servo* "Adventure!".

**[A/N]3:** Well, this could lead to many interesting things. Let's see how it develops. To the adventure in new planets!


	3. Voyage

Chapter 3: Voyage

For the next three days Starscream and Eleonor spent their time listing and ordering all the supplies that they were going to need for two months. Skywarp was in charge of teleporting everything to the spaceship, complaining every now and then about his duty.

"Uhhnn I'm a slave..." He pouted, coming to a halt beside his trinemate.

"Well, you fled from Cybertron to come here, and I am going to put you to good use." Replied the beige seeker absently, working with a datapad.

Eleonor stared at them from the ground and smiled briefly. Starscream was always stern with his wingbrothers, but he deeply cared for them. Skywarp could be like a sparkling sometimes and he needed to be disciplined once a while.

"I think we've got everything in the list for now..." She hummed, looking through the list.

"At long last!" Cheered Skywarp in relief. "I'm taking a nap right here." He chirped, and transformed back to jet mode, sinking slowly on his tires with a tired sigh.

Starscream shook his helm in disbelief. "Check the list carefully. We can't afford to forget anything." He said to Eleonor.

"Yes, Sir." She replied, revising the datapad. Food. Water. Clothes. First aid kit. Electrical appliances. Air cylinders. Even the things that the rest of Decepticons missed from Earth and had ordered to Skywarp.

"You are not actually going to recharge here, are you?" Asked Starscream warily, turning his attention to the black jet. They were just outside the Autobot's main hangar. Surrounded by enemy buildings.

"Hmm... no. But I'm comfy here in the sun." He replied absently, moving his flaps.

A while later, Ratchet exited the hangar, with Bumblebee and his human charges trailing close behind.

"Oh, Starscream, I was looking for you." Said the medic. Starscream looked back at him questioningly. "How does the gathering of supplies go?"

"Almost done. We are just checking all." He replied.

"Good thing, because in a couple of hours Warpath finishes his punishment and would be free again."

"You are eager to throw us out of here." Growled the seeker.

"What did he do?" Asked Skywarp curious from his jet mode.

"It doesn't matter. We'll just be on our way home before he comes out." Replied the beige seeker.

"I heard that he disobeyed a direct order from Optimus and shot Starscream while he had Eleonor in his servos, scorching one of his wings in the process." Stated Sam. Skywarp went deadly silent.

"You fool, who asked you little brat? Do you know what you have just done?" Howled Starscream.

The back jet shifted back to mech mode in a quick motion and unsheathed all his weapons. Bumblebee crouched protectively over his human companions in reflex, although the black seeker's fury was not directed at them.

"That's it! I'm scrapping him right now for good!" He roared as he stood at full height, his wings shaking in contained fury. "Nobody messes with 'Screamer and endangers little Eleonor and lives to tell it!"

Mikaela bit her lip. She had forgotten that Skywarp, despite been usually nice, was still a dangerous Decepticon if provoked. Starscream grabbed him firmly by an arm.

"Skywarp..." Whispered Eleonor meekly from the ground, but was loud enough for the black seeker to hear. He ceased to struggle but kept growling. "Starscream is fine now, Warpath didn't even scratch me, and he had spent three days isolated in the brig and he still has his cannon dismounted. I think it is sufficient punishment for now. Don't you think?"

Starscream blinked his optics in disbelief. Sure thing Skywarp was still pissed off, but he was no longer in psycho-killer mode.

"And I think it would be more humiliating to pull a prank on him. I have one or two ideas. I can't stand that stupid tank neither, he just want to blow up things everyday." Added Mikaela with a mischievous grin.

Skywarp ceased growling and sheathed back his weapons. He crouched in front of the girl. Bumblebee was still hugging her close.

"What do you suggest?" Asked the black seeker, regaining his sly grin.

Mikaela proceeded to reveal him her evil plan, under the intent stare of Sam. Since when was his girlfriend so evil?

Starscream approached warily to the Autobot medic.

"Ratchet!" He called him with an alarmed look. The medic looked back at him questioningly. "I am sure now, the human femmes must have some kind of mystical powers." He hissed low. "Just a gentle touch, a meek whisper or a soft suggestion is enough for them to stop and calm down a combat-ready cybertronian. It doesn't make any sense!"

"Starscream, I have been making myself the same question for a long time." He sighed, shifting uncomfortably. "And don't you have sometimes the impression that they can read minds too?" He added, with a worried expression.

"Yes!" Replied the seeker with concern.

"So, you two have also noticed one of the greatest enigmas of humanity?" Said Sam, sympathetically.

"Tell us what you know!" Demanded the beige seeker, hissing low.

"I know nothing more than you, honestly." Replied the boy, holding up his hands defensively. "No man can understand them. Look something up on the Internet about it." The seeker, the medic and even the scout dimmed their optics as they were surfing the net. Of course, they didn't find anything useful.

Meanwhile, Eleonor had finished reviewing the supplies. She also had time to overhear Mikaela's plan and the mystical powers that Starscream and Ratchet's believed human femmes had. She smiled inwardly.

"Starscream, Sir." She said softly from the ground. The beige jet left his Google searches and offered a servo, gently lifting her. "Everything is in order. What shall we do now?" She asked politely.

"Go prepare yourself. We are leaving tonight." He stated, trying his best to hide his excitement, but Eleonor caught the brightening of his optics. She smiled back. She was also very eager to explore the galaxies.

* * *

><p>Eleonor spent the rest of the afternoon with last-minute preparations and saying good-bye to the rest of his friends in the base. She also visited Perceptor and made herself sure that he could do the maintenance of the energon synthesizers by himself. He was a nice mech, although a little paranoid sometimes. She was going to miss his extravagances. Also Ratchet, who had saved her life and taught her many things about cybertronian science and culture. Bumblebee, always with his happy mood, ready to cheer anyone up with a song. Even the grumpy Ironhide and his harsh manners. And of course, Optimus. He was like a father for all the mechs and humans in the base. He always listened and cared for everyone, trying to solve any conflict in the most peaceful way.<p>

"Hiya, Eleonor!" Saluted Jazz as they crossed paths in the main hall. She was going to miss him and his carefree manners too.

"Oh, Jazz. I was looking for you. I wanted to say good-bye..." She said with a sad hint in her voice.

"So, it's decided then." He replied with a disapproving tone. "Ya're letting those Decepticons kidnap ya." He shook his helm slightly.

Eleonor laughed softly. "Don't worry, they are not so bad."

"Hmmpf." He huffed, recalling how Megatron had almost off-lined him years ago in Mission City.

"Fine, they are bad. But they treat me well. And I will be under the protection of the Decepticon's Second in Command, remember?" She said reassuringly.

"Hmpf. But there're many more Decepticons out there. Be careful, little one." He warned, his blue visor flashing.

"I will be." She replied. "By the way, where is Prowl? I haven't seen him since Starscream and Skywarp arrived."

"Primus... poor ol'Prowl. Ya know he's very stern and love to follow the rules. With the Decepticons here he was about to blow a circuit and Optimus suggested him monitor duty, which he accepted gladly. So, he's out of the way but can keep an eye on them, ya know how paranoid he can be sometimes." He sighed. "By the way, right now he's going haywire because he can't locate Skywarp, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe."

"Oh... that... you should tell him not to worry about that." She said reassuringly.

"Do ya know somethin'?" Asked the silver mech curiously, with a tilt of his helm.

"Well... Skywarp was very pissed off when he found out what Warpath had done..."

"Oh my god he's going to kill him!"

"No, no... nothing like that." Said Eleonor with a dismissively gesture of her hand. "He was very angry, but we managed to calm him down, and Mikaela suggested him a less harmful course of action, for everyone's sake."

"So, let me guess. Ya replaced his murderous intentions with prankin' ideas?"

"Exactly. I think it is about a repaint of Warpath's dismounted cannon, so don't worry. Nobody is going to be hurt."

"I hope so. I'll go and warn poor Prowl before he fries a logic circuit."

"Tell him good-bye for me."

"I will." He said with a smirk. "Take care!"

* * *

><p>"Starscream."<p>

"Optimus Prime."

The Decepticon Second in Command and the Autobot leader exchanged glances for a long moment. They were outside the base, at the landing platform. Most of the mechs at the base had tried their best to ignore the visiting Decepticons once they realized that they were not aggressive. However, they were very relieved to know that they were leaving for good.

At the moment, only Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Bumblebee, Sam and Mikaela were present to say good-bye.

Mikaela was the first to broke the awkward silence as she pulled Eleonor into one of her fearsome bear-hugs.

"I am going to miss you, Eleonor. Honestly." She said with her eyes shining, biting back her tears. "You are so calm and formal... who is going to balance now Sam and me and our crazy ideas?"

"I'm sure Ratchet would volunteer for that." Commented Eleonor, looking to the Autobot medic and blinking an eye. He just smirked.

"And who is going to cook us your delicious Spanish food?" Wailed Sam, adding himself into the hug.

"Aww... poor things. You don't have real food in America..." She cooed.

"Skywarp, take good care of her or I will repaint you in pink." Warned Mikaela, stabbing a finger in the black seeker's direction.

"Of course! I don't want to awake your rage!" He grinned back, feigning a shudder.

"So, making friends with the enemy humans?" Commented Starscream amused.

"What can I say, I'm a femme magnet!" Mocked Skywarp, making Mikaela giggle hysterically while Sam regarded him warily. Even Optimus smirked at the black seeker's antics.

"And Starscream..." Mikaela stabbed a finger now at the beige seeker's direction. "...You..." Starscream narrowed his optics, glaring daggers at the girl. She hesitated, her confidence crumbling under the glare of the fearsome mech. "...I won't tell you anything because I don't want to die today. But you know what I mean." She said mysteriously. The beige seeker just rolled his optics.

"Optimus, take good care of everyone around here in my absence. Specially this two brats." Said Eleonor with a sincere smile.

"I always do." He said reassuringly with his deep baritone voice. "Starscream, take good care of your assistant. She's a good girl. And send Megatron my regards."

"Oh, for the love of Primus!" Wailed the trine-leader as he crouched and transformed into jet mode. "I should have just kidnapped her before everyone got sentimental!"

Eleonor smiled apologetically to the Autobot leader and climbed to the beige jet.

"Bye!" She beamed as the cockpit glass descended over her. Starscream's thrusters came to life and in a few seconds they were heading for the skies.

"Tell Sunstreaker and Sideswipe that they are cool, to be Autobots!" Smirked Skywarp, just before he teleported himself out of sight, and reappeared high into the sky, transformed mid-air and blasted off with a roar of engines.

"That seeker's crazy, I tell ya." Smirked Jazz, glancing back at his leader.

"He is... quite peculiar."

* * *

><p>Starscream, Skywarp and Eleonor flew to an isolated area of the Nevada desert where their spaceship was stationed. It was very small compared to the Nemesis, but it was still very big for human standards. Eleonor stared in awe at the cybertronian ship as she climbed down the beige jet.<p>

"I thought it was still in orbit." She said.

"We landed here yesterday so that the ship could be filled with atmospheric air." Replied Starscream.

"I'm thankful for that."

"Don't flatter yourself. It's not only for you." He mocked. "Void space don't harm us cybertronians. But it is more comfortable to work under an atmosphere. Heat dissipation is harder without it." He explained, and pinged the ship. The main gate opened and an entrance ramp descended. Starscream approached, with Eleonor trailing close behind, staring in awe at everything. Skywarp followed them.

The gate closed as they boarded the ship. The interior was well lit. They headed for the main bridge through an ample corridor.

"Do you like the ship?" Asked Skywarp in a casual tone.

"I feel like in a science-fiction movie." She replied, mesmerized. "I can't believe that I am actually leaving Earth for a long time. This is like a dream. I am very excited."

"You don't look excited, you look _shocked_!" Laughed the black seeker.

"That too." She giggled.

Starscream smirked and offered a servo for her to climb on. Taking a seat at the main control monitor, he left her over the desk. The screens came to life, showing the surroundings of the ship. Pressing a couple of buttons, the engines on-lined with a faint humming, and the ship began to gain altitude smoothly.

Eleonor was impressed. They were sailing at increasing speeds through the skies and still, inside the ship, they barely had the impression that they were moving. It had artificial gravity. Cybertronian technology was, indeed, far more advanced.

In a few minutes, they were leaving the protection of the Earth's atmosphere. Blue sky faded into black space, and the stars went visible in a sea of constellations.

"Goodbye, Earth." Whispered Eleonor for herself, looking back one last time to contemplate the azure orb.

Starscream glanced down at her. He somehow felt a small pang of guilt. He enjoyed Eleonor's company, and had truly missed her back in Cybertron. But he felt that he was doing this for selfish reasons. She belonged to Earth, not Cybertron. It was going to be very dangerous for her. Of course she had accepted gladly his proposal, but the beige seeker could not help wondering if she had accepted only to please him or because she truly desired to come.

"Well, I am going to recharge for a while. See you later." Said Skywarp, exiting the bridge. He was not as impressed as Eleonor to see the space. He was, after all, well used to it by now.

The doors closed behind him, and Starscream leaned closer over the desk where his human was.

"Are you happy?" He asked simply.

"Of course! This is like a dream came true. I am going to see things that no human could ever dream of. I know it will be dangerous, but I am sure that it would be worth it." She replied, with a sincere smile. The beige seeker felt a little relieved.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He said with seriousness, the familiar sense of protection invading him. She smiled warmly again.

The spaceship continued its journey through open space, gaining speed. Soon, the Earth was a small blue marble.

"Where are we going exactly?" Asked Eleonor curious.

"To Mars."

"_Mars_?" She looked at Starscream dumbfounded.

"This ship has not a built-in space-bridge like the Nemesis. So, in order to teleport back to Cybertron, we must use an external space-bridge. We built one on Mars. The moon would have been a better place, but you humans can travel there with relative ease, and we didn't want to risk that technology falling into human hands. Mars was at a good distance." Explained the beige seeker.

"Woah. I'm going to be the first human on Mars too. This is great!" She concluded in awe. "And how long will that take?"

"About three days. From there, the space-bridge would take us almost instantly to Cybertron."

Eleonor stared in awe at the seeker. With the current human technology, a travel to Mars would take many months. "And do the Autobots know that there is a space-bridge in Mars? If they knew, they could try to go back to Cybertron." She concluded suddenly.

"I ignore it. But what I sure know is that they don't have any spaceship. Besides, they don't have the access codes to the Mars' space-bridge. And Soundwave himself encrypted those codes. They are impossible to hack."

They spent a while in silence, Eleonor looking at the open space through the monitors and Starscream checking the terminals.

"When Skywarp teleports, is it like the space-bridge technology?" She asked, after a long moment, lost in her thoughts.

"Hmm, yes, it is very similar, but at a reduced scale, and shorter range. Teleporting consumes quite an amount of energon. With a ship, it is relatively easy, because it has bigger fuel tanks. But a mech should be careful if he doesn't want to run out of energon and enter stasis-lock." He explained.

"Oh, Ratchet taught me about stasis-lock too. It's like a 'coma' state. It helps to preserve energy, shutting down the non-vital systems and enhancing the self-repair mechanisms."

"I see that you are still eager to learn." He chuckled.

"My curiosity is going to kill me some day, isn't it?" She laughed. "But I truly enjoy discovering new things." She paused for a while, thinking. "Do you think you could teach me cybertronian?"

"Hmm... you could learn to read and hear, but it is impossible for you to pronounce it with your vocal chords."

"I am at peace with that."

So, for the next few hours, Starscream tried to teach his human the basics of the cybertronian language. Reading was easier than listening. There were many different intonations and frequencies.

"I still think that it is easier that the rest of us learn English. Most of us do already, because the things that we brought back from Earth, likes video-games and movies are in English." Said Starscream

"I know, I know..." She sighed. "But everything I learn could be useful. For example, imagine that I get lost. I could ask in a datapad for directions, writing the questions down on it."

The beige seeker flickered his optics.

"I am not letting you wander alone in Cybertron. Someone could step on you... Maybe intentionally." He replied with seriousness. "And you won't leave my side. That's an order."

"Yes, Sir." She replied with a sharp nod. He was a little harsh, but it was because he cared, and Eleonor knew it.

"Good." He said, and was in silence for some seconds. "And this reminds me of another thing." He extracted a small item from a compartment under his left arm-plate and left it on the desk, just in front of Eleonor. "This is for you."

The young woman picked up the small item. It looked like... a necklace with a red ruby on a small metallic setting. The red jewel glowed very faintly.

"A necklace?" She murmured in disbelief. "Since when do you buy jewelry for humans?" She smirked. "And is this a real ruby? It's huge!"

"A good pet needs a good collar." He smirked evilly.

"Aww... I'm still at pet-level. I'm hurt." She pouted theatrically. Starscream chuckled at her feigned indignation.

"Now, really. I want you to wear that always. It has a tracer so I can locate you in case of emergency. It also monitors your heart rate." He explained. Eleonor nodded and put on the necklace, inspecting it closely. It also had the Decepticon insignia carved on the metallic setting. "And yes, it is a true ruby."

"Woah! This must be more expensive than me!" She exclaimed, making Starscream laugh. "Thank you, Sir. I know you are taking all this precautions for my well-being."

The seeker offered a servo and Eleonor took seat on it without hesitation. He held her close to his chest and run a claw down her hair.

"I know this is going to be dangerous, but like I said before, I won't let anything happen to you." He said with determination. "You are the pet of the Air Commander of the Decepticons. No one would dare to put a servo on you."

"The pet of the Air Commander." She repeated. "That would go nice on my curriculum." She smiled, leaning into the warm metal surface of the seeker's chest.

"You don't like been a pet?" He smirked, caressing her again with the back of a claw. He liked to tease her calling her pet, but they both knew it was only a joke.

"Of course I like it. I have the best master." She smirked back, playing his own teasing game.

* * *

><p>The three days passed quickly, and by the time they arrived to Mars, Eleonor could almost read perfectly in cybertronian, and could understand about fifty per cent of the spoken language.<p>

"Are you tired of teaching me things?" Asked Eleonor, feeling suddenly guilty.

"You learn quickly. And there is no other thing to do here anyway." He shrugged. "And you are right, it could be helpful for you to learn our language, at least to read it."

"I could teach you how to fly this ship!" Added Skywarp cheerily, making Eleonor beam.

"Skywarp, she can't even _reach_ the controls." Retorted the beige seeker.

"Then, I could learn how to fly _you_!" She said, still beaming.

"Primus, no. That would be embarrassing." Replied Starscream dismissively.

"Oh, look, we are arriving!" She gasped, changing the subject. They were entering the atmosphere of the red planet. It was much better than the few photographs sent by the exploration robots. The sky was a tawny color, and the ground had different shades of red, and the rocks were dark grey or black. They soared the sky for a while, headed for the space-bridge. Eleonor admired the geography of the martian terrain. Mountains, sand deserts, ravines that could make the Colorado Canyon look ridiculous. Everything was dry and reddish. It was odd not to see the familiar green color anywhere.

Soon, a great alien construction appeared on the horizon. It was like a huge arch composed by several big curved metal pieces.

Starscream started to press buttons on the terminal. The ship slowed down but continued approaching to the space-bridge. Then, the panels and pieces of the arch began to shift and change, defining it's shape better. Suddenly, a burst of light emanated from the central part of the construction and kept glowing, filling the arch with a white-blueish shine.

Eleonor stared in awe. A few more kilometers and they would cross the light.

"Here we go!" Cheered Skywarp.

The young woman gasped and closed her eyes tightly as the burning white light engulfed the ship, leaving her with a dizzying sensation.

"Are you OK?" Asked Starscream. Eleonor slowly opened her eyes again and peeked through the screens. They were no longer in Mars. Not even in the Solar System. And definitely, not even in the Milky Way. The constellations that were visible in the deep space were all different. And below them was now a planet that seemed made from metal. Cybertron.

"I..." The words had left her. "I've never been better in my life..." She murmured in awe.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** To the adventure! By the way, Skywarp, you are so cute when you are angry.

**[A/N]2:** This chapter was, in my opinion a little boring. But a transitional chapter was necessary, I am sorry. But hey, it has Starscream on it making Eleonor a present! A ruby no less! So it could not be so bad after all.


	4. Cybertron

Chapter 4: Cybertron

The space ship was now secured at the dock, and its three occupants were at the main gate.

"Are you ready?" Asked Starscream, glancing down at Eleonor.

She was wearing a comfortable pair of boots and thick tights, with a short grey skirt and a white blouse. The medium temperature in Cybertron was colder than Earth's, about 20ºC, so she also had a long dark grey coat. Finishing her outfit, the young woman had a backpack to carry a Oxygen cylinder. Connected to it, a thin air tube adjusted to her ears passed below her nose, just like the ones used in hospitals with patients with respiratory failures. She would be breathing a mix of cybertronian air enriched with Oxygen. She only had to remember to breath through her nose. She had air for three hours in the backpack, but Starscream had two other cylinders stored in sub-espace.

"Ready." She nodded with determination.

Starscream pressed some buttons and the main gate opened, letting in the cybertronian air. Eleonor inhaled the new mix of air. It was dryer and left a metallic taste, but it was bearable. The ramp descended and they exited the ship. The beige seeker was the first one, with Eleonor trailing close behind and Skywarp just before to keep an eye on her.

They were in a huge spaceship station. Many other ships were visible, and it was crowded with many mechs attending to them making repairs, refueling, moving cargo, etc. Everything was full of activity.

A new mech approached to speak to Starscream. Eleonor could understand only half of it, so she tried to focus on the unspoken language going between them. The dock worker had approached submissively, keeping his gaze low most of the time, while the beige seeker stood proudly, with his wings high, his optics never leaving the other mech. Eleonor recalled how the same seeker behaved among his wingbrothers and with Megatron. It was totally different. She concluded that in Decepticon culture, the gestures had almost the same importance than the spoken language. They changed depending of the rank of the interacting mechs. She decided that if she didn't want to attract unnecessary hostilities towards her, or compromise his Decepticon friend's reputation, she had to be careful with that. She had to be observant and quiet. Summarizing, she had to be a good _pet_.

Then, the unknown mech looked to the ground and noticed the young woman.

"**Is that a human?"** He asked.

"**Yes."** Replied the beige seeker and sighed indwardly. He was sure that he would be answering that same question many times soon.

"**Did it followed you all they way here? Do you want me to terminate it?"** Asked the mech, transforming one arm into a cannon. Eleonor flinched, coming out of her thoughts. She was not sure about the conversation going around her, but the unknown mech had a weapon and he was looking at her in a not-very-friendly manner.

Starscream grabbed roughly the arm-cannon of the mech and pointed it up-wards.

"**If I wanted it dead I would have shot it in the ship long ago, don't you think?"** Hissed the seeker dangerously, sinking his claws very slightly in the mech's arm, applying just the necessary pressure to scratch the outer armor.

"**I get it, I get it!"** He recoiled, jerking himself free from the seeker's grasp. **"Jeez... Don't need to spoil a good cannon."**

"**I want the ship refueled in a joor."** Ordered the seeker, with a tone that indicated the end of the conversation.

"**Yes, Commander Starscream."** Agreed the mech, and left for his duties.

Eleonor stared at the beige seeker. Of course, Starscream was still the Decepticon's Second in Command, and nobody was to argue with him.

* * *

><p>Some minutes later, they were flying through the cybertronian skies. Eleonor took the opportunity to inspect their surroundings. The buildings were huge, and the highways wide and never-ending. All seemed to be made of different kinds of metals, adorned with neon lights that contrasted the shapes.<p>

"Cybertron is wonderful!" She exclaimed, mesmerized. "How is this city called?"

"Kaon. It is the Decepticon capital."

"_Kaon_..." Repeated for herself the young woman. "Nice city... And where are we heading to?"

"To the palace. It is the main building in the center of the city, you can see it now over there." Replied the seeker, changing his course and heading to the biggest building that Eleonor had seen in her life. The palace of Kaon had many entrances via highway and landing platforms. It also had many towers and communication arrays. The metal of the building seemed darker than the rest of the city, with purple neon lights contrasting shapes. "Woah. I feel smaller every second that passes."

Thee beige seeker laughed evilly and prepared to land.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, Starscream and Eleonor were heading to the throne room, where Megatron granted audiences. Skywarp had already fled out of sight, not desiring to face the wrath of his Leader so soon. The interiors of the palace were as amazing as the outsides, with great corridors and halls adorned with the Decepticon emblem. Finally, they reached a great door, more adorned than the rest. Starscream pinged the door and it opened itself.<p>

Megatron was seated on his throne, speaking to a blue and grey mech with a rather bulky frame that was in front of him. Soundwave was next to his Leader, working silently with a datapad, probably taking notes from the audience. The Third in Command looked at them and bowed his head very slightly in silent greeting. Eleonor smiled heartily and Soundwave's visor flashed briefly before turning back to focus his attention in the unknown mech's report.

"**... So, summarizing, the parts factories are working just fine, but the raw materials are not in big supply and we have no stock. We don't lack anything yet, but the margin is small. If we are to be prudent, we should look for more metals and minerals."** Finished the mech.

"**It would be wise, indeed."** Agreed the Decepticon leader, tapping his chin-plates. **"The reconstruction of Cybertron has caused our reserves to run down dangerously, and we cannot afford that."** He paused. **"You have done well to report this, Breakdown."**

"**Thank you, my Lord."** Replied the mech.

"**You are dismissed."**

The blue and grey mech bowed to his leader and saluted to the Third in Command and turned to leave. As he caught sight of the Decepticon Second in Command also standing there he saluted again.

"**A human!"** He exclaimed suddenly, noticing the small woman standing behind Starscream. The beige seeker groaned slightly in annoyance.

Eleonor looked back at him briefly, recognizing the cybertronian word for 'human', and was surprised to find that unlike most of the Decepticons, that one had yellow optics, contrasting with his face-plates, that were colored in red. He was looking at her with a mix of uneasyness and surprise. He opened his mouth to ask something more but stopped as he caught sight of Starscream's annoyed glare. Realizing that he had been dismissed and was probably interrupting the Second in Command's report to Megatron, he decided to exit the throne room for good before the volatile seeker decided to contain himself no longer..

Starscream sighed as the door closed behind Breakdown and turned to his leader.

"Starscream reporting back from Earth." He stated matter-of-factly, rivaling with Soundwave's plain tone. At least, he had the consideration of doing it in English, thought Eleonor.

"I see." Replied coldly the Decepticon Leader, making a pause and glancing down at the small human. "And I see that you have retrieved your little pet too." He added, amused.

"I recall you giving her to me and suggesting to put her to work if I found her more uses." He replied. "I think Soundwave here could confirm the exact words..." He smirked, motioning for the silent mech, that had not spoken yet.

"I know what I said." Huffed Megatron, a little annoyed, but he smirked too. "And know this, little human: you are the first and would be the last of your kind to put a foot on Cybertron." He added, glancing back to the young woman.

"I feel honoured." She replied with a curtsy. "Thank you, High Lord Protector Megatron." She added, and glanced back at the fearsome mech.

Megatron smirked back, feeling flattered, although he was not about to admit it. Starscream smiled inwardly at her choice of words. His human had the ability to knew exactly what to say to pleasure any mech, even their ruthless Leader.

"What are your plans now, Starscream?" Asked Megatron, focusing his attention again on his Second in Command.

"I'm heading back to the new discovered planet in sector 63 to investigate it. The preliminary scans showed traces of minerals and heavy metals, and I could not help but overheard Breakdown's report... we are in need of that." He explained. "I'm waiting for my ship to be refueled. I'll be heading there in about a joor."

"Good." Nodded the Decepticon leader. "You are dismissed".

"Yes, Lord Megatron." Replied the seeker.

The Second in Command saluted and turned to leave, heading for the door, followed by Eleonor.

"I wonder what those two would accomplish this time." Wondered aloud the Decepticon Leader, once the door was closed.

* * *

><p>Starscream was walking through the long corridor that lead to the rec. hall with Eleonor in his left servo. She normally preferred to go on foot by herself, but it was a long walk and the Oxygen was in limited supply.<p>

"How much longer until that cylinder wears out?" Asked the seeker. The young woman extracted her smartphone from a pocket and checked the hour.

"I have almost two hours left." She replied. "Were are we heading?"

"Shh." He stopped and turned his head to glance over his shoulder. Eleonor gave him a questioning look. He waited some seconds in silence. **"I am a seeker, Breakdown. The day that you can fool my sensors I will deactivate myself."**

"**Uh... I apologize, Commander Starscream..."** Said the big blue and grey mech, coming out of his hiding spot behind a corner, with an apologetic look.

"**State your business."** He demanded coldly.

"**I... I was just curious about your human."** He tried to explain, a little embarrassed. Starscream raised an optic-ridge. **"I was not on the team that went to Earth, but I have heard them talking about humans."** The beige seeker gave a small snort.

"**What do they say about them?"** He asked curious.

"**That they can be dangerous."** Replied the blue and grey mech with concern.

"**Really, Breakdown?"** The seeker gave him an incredulous look and extended his servo, revealing the young woman. The blue and grey mech flinched back. Eleonor, for her part was a bit lost in the conversation around her, but she still felt secure in Starscream's servo. **"It's not even the tenth size of you. Soft like a cloud and harmless like a robo-mouse. What could it possibly do to you?"** Asked the seeker.

"**I don't know... Your team spent a long time in Earth with Megatron..."**

"**Minor setbacks!"** Snapped the seeker. **"Are you trying to say that a bunch of fleshlings could pose a threat to the Decepticons?"**

"**Sorry, I didn't mean it like that..."** Said Breakdown, holding up his servos defensively. **"I just wanted to make myself sure that your human was not dangerous."**

"**It won't kill you, I assure you."** Replied Starscream, with a snort.

Breakdown glanced back at the small human, that was still seated calmly in the seeker's palm with an innocent look.

"**I suppose not..."** He admitted in defeat. After all, that human seemed very small.

"**Good."** Replied the beige jet. **"Now, if you excuse me, I need a drink."** He sighed, waving his free servo dismissively in the air, and resuming his course to the rec. hall, leaving Breakdown behind.

"What was all that about?" Whispered Eleonor, a bit lost.

"Breakdown has always been a little paranoid." He explained. "And apparently, he was a little concerned about human kind. He wanted to make himself sure that you were not dangerous."

"He was afraid of me?" She asked in disbelief.

"I guess you could say that." He chuckled.

* * *

><p>"Eleonor!" Exclaimed Thundercracker, pausing the film he was currently watching and motioning for Starscream to take a seat beside him at the same cybertronian-sized couch. The beige seeker left her over the table and left to get a cube of high-grade from the dispenser.<p>

"Thundercracker! I am very happy to see you! How is everything?"

"There is a lot of work to do, but it's peaceful. I don't have complaints." He replied, leaning closer. "So, this crazy seeker that I have for trine-mate actually convinced you to follow him across the galaxies to come here?"

"I made her an offer that she could not refuse." Replied Starscream, taking a sip from his cube. Eleonor laughed heartily, catching the movie reference.

"Really, Starscream? Watching human movies?" She asked in amusement. "And here I thought you didn't like them."

"TC showed it to me. A lot of people died, it was funny." He admitted with a shrug. Eleonor shook her head but kept smiling.

"Hey, look who just entered the rec. hall." Said Thundercracker pointing to the door.

"Shockwave!" Exclaimed Eleonor, not too loud, but it was sufficient for his cunning cybertronian sense of hearing. The named mech turned to look at them and flickered his single optic in disbelief. He walked heading for them.

"This is illogical." He stated with a blank expression, not that having a single optic on his face helped much. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting." She replied with a sincere smile.

"How are you even breathing?"

"I have an Oxygen cylinder in my backpack connected to this tubes." She explained, pointing to the tubes under her nose.

"Clever." He admitted. "Skywarp sent me a message suggesting me to go here. I complied only to dismantle a possible prank. I must admit that this was the last thing I was expecting."

"Disappointed?" Asked Eleonor shyly.

"_Glad._" He corrected. She smiled heartily in response.

"By the way, where is Skywarp?" Asked Thundercracker.

"Primus, why did you let him go after me, TC?" Groaned Starscream.

"Like if I could have held back that teleporting nut." Chuckled Thundercracker, taking a sip from his drink.

"He must be hiding from Megatron. He left without his consent." Chuckled Starscream.

"Oh, Primus, he is dead mech." Laughed back the blue seeker.

Suddenly, a flash of light and a crackling sound filled the hall, and Skywarp appeared holding a large crate with the things that other mechs wanted from Earth.

"Hi!" He cheered, approaching to the table with the rest of his trinemates and Shockwave.

"Shouldn't you be hiding from Megatron?" Asked Shockwave ominously. "Or have you already assumed your death?"

"Well... he doesn't usually leave the throne room, he is always busy with audiences lately. And when not, he is reading reports. Besides, I have brought presents!" He said cheerfully, unpacking the contents of the large crate and leaving everything scattered over the table. "These are your movies, Thundercracker, there are many extra ones that Eleonor though we would like. And here we have the video-games for Barricade and Frenzy. I called them too a while ago, I hope they arrive soon." He made a pause and picked a game. "This one is for you, Shockwave. It's about logic puzzles with portals. Blame Eleonor if you don't like it, it was her idea, I found it boring."

The cyclops mech blinked in surprise and took the video-game.

"I'll give it a try." Replied Shockwave, a little lost. He wasn't expecting any present.

"Is there any present for me?" Asked suddenly a deep voice from behind them, the newly arrived mech placed a hand on Skywarp's shoulder-plate. The black seeker's wings stiffened in surprise and dropped the video-games he was holding at the moment.

"L-Lord Megatron! What a s-surprise!" Exclaimed the black seeker with a dreadful look on his face-plates. Starscream chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. How could Megatron be so fragging _silent_ when he wanted to? And Soundwave was also with him not far behind.

"How was your little vacation on Earth, Skywarp?" Hissed Megatron dangerously, still behind the seeker, leaning closer to his audio receptors and giving a light squeeze to his shoulder.

"Please don't kill me!" Wailed Skywarp, his confidence lost.

"Kill you?" Asked Megatron in disbelief. "Why would I do that?"

"Humm... because... I left without consent and was absent from my duties..." He admitted his crimes.

"Oh, that... that's a grave fault..." Murmured the Decepticon Leader with a malicious tone. Skywarp shuddered and felt his energon run cold. "On the other hand... it has been a very _peaceful_ week without any prank to worry about." He added with a smirk, and released his grip on the seeker to take a seat at the long table. Skywarp relaxed visibly and let out a long sigh through his vents. "By the way, you are doing double time of any of your duties for the next two weeks." He added, coldly, finishing the issue.

"Yes Lord Megatron!" He replied quickly.

Eleonor smiled, feeling relieved for Skywarp. She didn't thought of Megatron actually off-lining him for that mischief, but she feared a physical punishment. However, the Decepticon Leader was in a good mood or he actually have had a peaceful week without the naughty seeker around. She also realized another thing. While it was true that the Decepticons valued the displays of hierarchy among them, this rule relaxed always in the rec. rooms, where the high-grade usually loosened their inhibitions. Everyone needed a break once a while, even their Leader, she thought for herself.

Megatron took seat at the end of the table, like he usually did. The conversation of his subordinates amused him to no end, and he was content with just staying there with a cube of high-grade.

"Hi Eleonor!" Beamed a little voice from across the table. The young woman looked back to see a tiny silver mech leaning on a big metal panther.

"Frenzy! Ravage! It's good to see you again!" Waved Eleonor back. The metal panther started running towards her. "Wait, Ravage, please, don't...!"

Soundwave pinged silently their minions and warned them through their bond-link of the breathing device that the young woman carried on her back and its importance for her. The cybertronian cat stopped just in time and instead of pouncing over her, he just nuzzled against her cheek. Eleonor released the breath that she had been holding.

"Uf... thank you..." She sighed. "So, Frenzy, do you want a hug or you are going to maintain your dignity?"

"Uh, I think I'll maintain my dignity while I still can." He smirked. "I'll just sit here next to you." Replied the tiny silver mech snuggling beside her as they seated cross-legged on the table.

Ravage nuzzled against her one more time and growled softly as he curled around them.

"Ah, Ravage doesn't mind his dignity any longer!" She smiled and started to rub a hand over the panther's head and jaw-plates. Soon, he was upside-down over the table with the young woman caressing his metal belly. Starscream shook his head in amusement.

"**By Primus! I knew it was dangerous! It's going to kill Ravage!"** Exclaimed Breakdown. Eleonor stopped and glanced back at the newly arrived mech, recognizing his voice. He was the same mech that had stopped Starscream and her on their way to the rec. hall. He was standing next to a red mech, smaller than him.

"**You silly mech, he's only playing, do you think that Soundwave would let it do anything dangerous to Ravage in front of him?"** Replied the red mech.

Starscream turned to give the new mechs a warning glare.

"Uh, sorry about that. My pal here can be a little paranoid sometimes." Apologized the red mech, revealing that he had learned English.

"I am not!" Protested Breakdown.

"Can I take a closer look at your human, Commander Starscream?" Asked the red mech tentatively, ignoring his partner's complaints.

"No!" Exclaimed Breakdown in alarm, grabbing the smaller red mech by an arm and shielding him with his bulkier frame.

"Breakdown! You are going to scratch my paint! Let me go!" Protested the smaller mech. "I just want to see the human!"

"For the love of Primus, Breakdown." Sighed the Decepticon Leader in exasperation. The two mechs ceased their struggle and stood to attention. "Just grab a cube of high-grade and sit down here."

The red mech grinned and trotted for the energon dispenser, grabbing a cube. Then, he gingerly took a seat next to Skywarp and in front of Starscream that had his human seated between his arms, flanked by Frenzy and Ravage. Breakdown picked his cube and seated next to the red mech, to protect him from the potentially dangerous alien species, in case it was needed.

"Hi there sweetie, I'm Knock Out." Said the red mech, leaning closer with a seductive look.

"Hello, Knock Out. I'm Eleonor." She smiled shyly. The red mech smirked. "Do you like humans?" She asked intrigued. Most of the Decepticons didn't.

"Well, I don't really know, because I haven't met a human before, but I looove the human things that the rest of the Decepticons brought from Earth!" He replied in excitement. "I find the design of your automobiles very appealing. I even picked an Earth alt-mode. I also like the music. Oh, and the car racing and tuning. I took some ideas for my paint-job from Earth too."

"So, there is an Earth-trend going on in Cybertron?" She asked curious.

"You could say that." He replied casually. "Anyway, my partner here, Breakdown knows that I'm a big fan of human entertainment, so he told me that there was a human here and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to meet one."

"Oh, he must care for you a lot, because before that he stopped Starscream and me on our way here. He wanted to know if I was dangerous. He looked really worried." She said with complicity, leaning closer.

"Breakdown! You are a sweet-spark!" Cried Knock Out in delight as he rubbed a servo up and down Breakdown's arm-plates. The blue and grey mech's expression went blank, and his cooling fans kicked in with a loud whir in the cybertronian version of a blush. The rest of the present mechs chuckled. Even Megatron found it hard to stop his smirk.

"And what do you do, Knock Out?" She asked politely, resuming her caressing on Ravage's flank, that was curled around her.

"I'm a medic." He replied, transforming a hand in several cybertronian surgical tools to prove his point.

"But in his free time he likes to street-race." Said suddenly a new black and white mech with a smooth voice, purring from behind Knock Out as he went to the energon dispenser. "Very poorly, I must observe."

"Barricade!" Exclaimed Frenzy, waving at his old mission partner.

"Of course." Replied the red mech with a cocky grin. "I value my paint-job more than a petty victory." He added with his own seductive voice.

Barricade laughed with malice and took a sip of his own high-grade as he made his way to the table.

"How is my _dear_ Ladiesman217 and his useless bumblebot?" Asked the police car, looking at Eleonor.

"Sam is clumsy as always, and Mikaela often bosses him around. Bumblebee still has a glitch with his vocalizer, but he is happy with his radio." She answered.

"You know the Autobots!" Exclaimed Breakdown. "She is a spy of them!"

"Breakdown! Would you stop been such an alarmist someday!" Sighed Knock Out.

"If anything, she would be a Decepticon spy!" Intervened Brawl, that had just arrived and heard the end of the conversation.

"Hello, Brawl! Good to see you." She nodded politely.

"Hello, little soft Decepticon!" He laughed. "Do you have any Autobot gossip for me?"

"Tons of them!" She cheered. "But you should ask Skywarp, he knows even more than me. His short time at the Autobot base turned out to be quite profitable."

Everymech turned to give Skywarp an incredulous look. The black seeker grinned madly and rubbed his servos together.

"You went all the way down to Earth to pull pranks among the Autobots in their own base?" Asked Thundercracker in disbelief.

"Yep. And Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Mikaela helped me." He said proudly.

"So, pulling pranks and befriending the enemy." Stated Megatron with indiference, taking a sip of his high-grade. "Nice."

"And the best part was when he _hugged_ Optimus." Added Starscream, leaving over the table a datapad with a capture of the moment. Skywarp was, indeed, hugging Optimus with a worried expression. The Autobot Leader had shock and awkwardness written across his face-plates. Behind them, Ratchet was trying to suppress his giggles, but the best of all was the expression of the weapon specialist as he looked at his Leader been hugged by an enemy.

"I didn't know Ironhide could make such faces." Exclaimed Shockwave. Everymech at the table leaned to take a closer look at the picture to see the black mech. And they burst in laughter.

Megatron chocked on his drink and glared daggers at his Second in Command for showing him that picture while he was drinking.

"Starscream! Do you want to kill me?" Roared the Decepticon Leader, trying to regain his composure. The beige jet chuckled darkly, thinking of the irony.

"Of course I want. By the way, Optimus sends you his regards." Added the beige seeker with a smirk.

"I'm not hugging him." Warned Megatron, giving up and letting a small smirk crept into his face-plates.

"So, Skywarp. You never told us what you did to Warpath." Recalled Eleonor.

"Well, lets say that the first blast he shoots with his cannon is going to be very _sparkly_ and _colorful_." Replied the black seeker with a sly grin.

* * *

><p>For the next hour, Skywarp proudly narrated his adventures at the Autobot base, fortunately omitting any embarrassing moments for him or Starscream. The rest of the present mechs listened to him in various degrees of disbelief.<p>

"Is that... true?" Murmured Breakdown. Now he was a little bit more relaxed than when he arrived at the table.

"Yes..." Admitted Starscream, running a hand down his helm. "You know how soft can Optimus be. You tell him you come in peace, and he lets you wander freely around his base. With a little surveillance and hateful glares from the rest of his crew, but freely and unharmed."

"I can't imagine us doing the same here." Said Shockwave.

"Prime still has hope in a reconciliation." Added the beige seeker, shaking his helm slightly.

"Prime is a dreamy fool. The Decepticons saved Cybertron. It's ours now. It's our right." Said Megatron with indignation. "I'll send him a postcard if he wants, but no Autobot is going to put a foot here while my spark still beats!" The rest of the mechs grunted in agreement. Eleonor gave a sad smile. Maybe one day Megatron would change his opinion.

"And changing the subject, why is a human here? I thought that they were allied with the Autobots and that they hated us too." Asked Breakdown pointing to the young woman with a servo.

"I'm the pet of the Air Commander." She replied with a sheepishly smile. The beige seeker burst in laughter suddenly. "Uh... what did I say?" Asked Eleonor, taken aback by the beige mech's reaction.

"You know your place. Good pet!" Teased Starscream with a smirk as he petted her with a claw. The rest of the mechs chuckled slightly.

"I have travelled across the galaxies so that a bunch of aliens can make fun of me. Oh, joy." She thought for herself with a resigned sight.

"Actually, she is my lab assistant. She has extensive scientific training. She aided us on Earth. Greatly." Clarified suddenly Starscream, looking down at her with a small smile. Eleonor looked back at him with gratitude written on her features.

"I've just got promoted. Yay!" She exclaimed softly.

"Don't flatter yourself, pet." Replied the beige seeker with an evil smirk, bringing her back to reality. Of course, he had to maintain his 'sparkless-Decepticon-warrior' reputation.

"Starscream: mean master. Suggestion: join Soundwave's symbionts." Offered the Third in Command, surprising everyone. He had been very quiet until then. Even Megatron smirked at the idea.

"Yeah! we could go pranking together!" Cheered Frenzy.

"Not a chance!" Hissed the seeker, picking her up with possessiveness.

"How selfish." Laughed Thundercracker.

Eleonor was trying to muffle her giggles behind her hands when an alarm rang from her smartphone, making her stop and remember her vulnerable situation.

"What was that?" Asked Frenzy.

"Hmm, nothing... just an alarm I set up to remind me to change my Oxygen cylinder." She replied absently, reaching for her backpack and opening it. Starscream extracted a new cylinder from subspace and handed it to her. She inhaled deeply, held her breath, and with practised ease she changed the tubes and adjusted the regulator in less than fifteen seconds.

"What is that for?" Asked Knock Out, that had been observing the process intently.

"Humans, unlike Cybertronians, need to _breath_ air. Specifically a gas called 'Oxygen'. That's why I have this tubes connected to this Oxygen cylinder." She explained as the put it in the backpack, replacing the empty one.

"And if you don't breathe this gas, what happens?"

"I..." She hesitated before answering. "...I die within two minutes." She sighed. Knock Out gasped.

"You should not reveal your weak points, human." Advised Shockwave, with seriousness in his tranquil voice. She sighed in defeat. She felt so weak among cybertronians. Ravage purred softly and nuzzled her lightly.

"Ravage wants to protect you." Explained Frenzy. Eleonor was touched by the gesture.

"Aw, Ravage. You are the cutest killing machine ever." She cooed while rubbing a hand on the cat's forehead.

"Anyway, the planet we are going to explore has plenty of Oxygen, and you will be more comfortable." Reminded Starscream.

"When are you leaving?" Asked Shockwave.

"As soon as the ship is refueled." Explained the beige seeker.

* * *

><p>The rest of the evening went smoothly, with Barricade, Skywarp and Frenzy trying out their new video-games, Soundwave reviewing some reports in a datapad, Brawl passed out from his high-grade on a couch, Ravage sleeping all over the table, Megatron chatting quietly with Shockwave and Thundercracker finished watching the movie he had paused before.<p>

"Woah! An Aston Martin!" Exclaimed Eleonor. At some point in the evening, Knock Out had wanted to show her his alt-mode picked from Earth. The young woman was on the floor near him, inspecting closely his custom finish. "Your paint-job is perfectly shiny and spotless!"

"I know, I'm fabulous..." He answered seductively.

"And modest." Added Breakdown with disinterest, making Eleonor giggle.

"Fine, credit where it's due. Breakdown buffed me earlier. He has an expert pair of servos and he is very skilled with external finishes." Admitted the red sports car, making his engine purr. Breakdown's cooling fans kicked in involuntarily. Eleonor wondered what was going between those two. "So, do you want a ride?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure..."

"Absolutely no." Intervened Starscream. "You go too fast."

"Aww, come on, Starscream. It's safer than flying... I'll go slowly... I'll be gentle, I promise." Said the red sports car with his trademark purring voice. Eleonor smiled inwardly. Knock Out had the talent to make everything he said sound seductive. "You can come too. We can show her the city. Maybe we can go shopping! How does that sound? I've heard that human femmes love shopping."

"No." He repeated, shaking his helm for emphasis.

Eleonor sighed sadly in resignation but said nothing. It would be nice to know the city, but it could be dangerous too. Starscream was just been protective, she noticed.

"What a pity. I was planning to go to the city too and buy some replacement capacitors." Sighed Shockwave.

"And I had a list of materials for new pranks that are not going to buy themselves." Sighed Skywarp.

"And there is a race at the circuit..." Sighed Barricade.

"And a match at the arena..." Sighed Brawl.

"And I could really enjoy some peace if you all stopped sighing left me here alone." Added Megatron, getting comfortable on his couch and extracting a datapad with some reports to review. "So, go and take your pet for a walk, Starscream."

"Arhg, fine!" Groaned Starscream in exasperation. "This is ridiculous!" Eleonor smiled heartily. She was going to see the city from the inside too.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** Yes, yes, I know this is very fluffy, but I could not resist the idea... and it was so fun to write... Don't worry, I still have many ideas for true adventures in the new planet, but first, Eleonor needs to have some fun with her big bad friends!

**[A/N]2: **And yes, I have changed Breakdown's personality. Well, not really. Breakdown was at his origins a very paranoid mech. It was only in TF:Prime that he changed to careless-brute. But I have maintained Knock Out's personality and given a new approach to his..._ relationship_ with Breakdown. I hope you don't mind it... love is the right of all sentient beings.


	5. Kaon

Chapter 5: Kaon

Eleonor held tightly to the seat-belt as Knock Out raced through the cybertronian high-ways. She noticed now that Kaon had many levels and many roads and entrances at different altitudes. The sky was currently painted in a gradient of orange and yellow. It seemed that the duration of the cybertronian day was much longer than Earth's, and therefore, the sunsets lasted also longer. Soaring the skies above them, the elite trine of seekers flew in perfect formation. Only Megatron, Soundwave and Ravage had remained at the palace's rec. hall.

"Do you like Kaon?" Asked the red sports car casually. The medic had greatly surprised her. He was very friendly for been a Decepticon, actually nicer than some Autobots.

"Yes. It's wonderful. I have no words to describe it. There is nothing remotely similar on Earth." She replied amazed. "Thank you for the idea of visiting the city."

"You can't just visit Cybertron and leave without visiting Kaon, can you? It would be a pity." He replied, with a hint of smirk in his tone.

"I am a little scared. Everything is so big... and I don't think many Decepticons would like the idea of seen a human on his home planet. Maybe they would want to squish me on sight..." She said a little downhearted.

"That's because they don't know you. And Decepticons tend to hate or fear what they don't know. You have to give them the chance of knowing you." He said, reassuringly.

"Yeah, I suppose. But I fear that some of them won't give me the chance and will shoot first and ask questions later."

"I am sure the mechs that you already know weren't so friendly always. And now, even Megatron doesn't seem to mind having you around. And he really hates humans."

"It was hard, but I managed to gain their trust while they were on Earth. It is a really long story, you should ask Thundercracker or Skywarp. Soundwave should have more info... but he is not a mech of many words..."

"Certainly not." Chuckled the car. "Anyway, don't worry, little one. Even Breakdown seems to have relaxed and no longer considers you a threat. And that's a lot to say. He worries about everything!"

Eleonor laughed. "And he looks extra worried when you are involved. He seems to care a lot about you, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, it's normal. He is my partner."

"You partner? Like in work-partner or mission-partner?" Asked Eleonor a little confused. She knew that cybertronians had an extensive gradient of words meaning friendship.

"Hm. It's difficult to find a correct translation in your language. Maybe 'lover' or 'mate' could come close." He tried to explain.

"What?" She exclaimed, staring dumbfounded at the dashboard. The medic should have confused the terms in her language for sure. The words 'lover' or 'mate' usually implied some kind of more... intimate relationship. "I though cybertronians didn't have that kind of relationships because you created new life with the Allspark."

"Ah, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun among us!" He exclaimed in amusement, making Eleonor blink in surprise. "You see Breakdown there? So alarmed and worried always?" He continued, lowering his voice to a seductive purr. "Well, he says the sweetest things when we are alone in the berth and despite been so big and strong he has the most gentle servos when-"

"Please, I don't want to know!" She wailed, covering his ears with her hands in embarrassment.

"Humans... Why do you have to be so shy about natural things like that?" He chuckled in amusement.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, they were in the middle of the trade district of Kaon. Eleonor stepped out of the red sports car. Breakdown transformed, towering above her. Knock Out transformed too as soon as she climbed down. He was the same size as Barricade. Breakdown was taller and had a more bulkier frame than his partner.<p>

The medic beamed and reached down to pick her. Eleonor gasped in surprise, not expecting been picked up. He placed her carefully on his shoulder. The young woman shrank a little. She had seen Mikaela and Sam ride Bumblebee in that same spot, but she herself had never been placed on the shoulder of a cybertronian before. They had carried her always in their servos or cabins.

"Is this spot safe? Are you sure I won't touch anything that could hurt you?" She asked, searching with her hand a seam or ridge where she could held herself secure.

"Yes, there are no gears there where you can get yourself caught. And no, you can't hurt me with your little hands...ah! That tickles!" He exclaimed suddenly trying very hard not to shake.

"Sorry!" Apologized Eleonor. She had grasped some wires near the red mech's neck.

"Don't worry, it didn't hurt. Just tickled... ahhh not there please! The audio receptors are sensitive!"

"Oh my god, sorry!" She released the spike-like-fin in Knock Out's helm that had turned out to be an audio receptor.

Breakdown looked down at them with an unreadable expression.

"Knock Out, may I suggest you to just carry her in your servos before Breakdown dies from jealousy?" Offered Thundercracker calmly, approaching them. Skywarp and Starscream were beside him with amused grins on their face-plates.

Eleonor's jaw dropped and she blushed madly. The medic reached for her to follow the blue seeker's advise and placed her safely on his palm.

"I didn't know humans could change color! Now you match me!" Chirped Knock Out in amusement.

* * *

><p>The visit to the trade district went smoothly. Eleonor was small and not many mechs glanced at her direction. Most of the glances were directed to Starscream or Shockwave. And the ones that landed on her were soothed by the fact that both her and the mech holding her (currently Knock Out) seemed quite at ease.<p>

Shockwave, as he had said, stopped to buy some capacitors. Skywarp and Frenzy disappeared at some point, and came back later with mischievous grins adorning their face-plates. The supplies for the pranks were presumably ready.

"Aren't you going to buy anything, softie?" Asked Brawl.

"Uh... I fear that there isn't anything of my size here... And I don't even know what kind of currency you use here..." She replied sheepishly. Brawl let out a deep chuckle. "And speaking of buying things, did you know that Sam did actually _bought_ Bumblebee in a shop of second-hand cars?" Said Eleonor. She knew that Brawl loved gossips.

"No!" Exclaimed Brawl, roaring in laughter. Barricade also burst in giggles. Bumblebee was his closest enemy, and they had fought each other many times.

"How much?" Asked the police car, once he calmed down his giggles.

"Four thousand dollars!" She replied. Barricade laughed so hard that he had to reset his vocalizer a couple of times before he could speak again normally.

"I almost feel pity for him. Almost." He smirked.

A while later, they stopped by a kind of terrace overlooking what seemed to be an enormous stadium. The outer perimeter was like a circular high-way circuit, and the central part was like an arena.

"Ah, today is our lucky day!" Exclaimed Barricade. "There are a race and an arena match scheduled _at the same time_!" He rubbed his servos impatiently.

"Here they come!" Roared Brawl with joy.

Soon, two huge mechs were exchanging blows on the arena, bits of armor scattered beneath them. Eleonor flinched at the sickening noise of crunching plates. And, like Barricade had pointed out, while the mechs fought, a group of eight smaller mechs in sleek vehicle forms raced around the outer circuit. And the race was not less violent than the match. The racing vehicles played dirty tricks on each other, trying to push them out of the road and using their weapons if they needed to. It reminded her of the ancient Roman quadriga races at the Coliseum.

In one harsh maneuver, a vehicle ended up in the central arena after a crash, and one of the fighting mechs hit him by accident, sinking him the hood.

"Oh my god I can't look!" Exclaimed Eleonor, covering her eyes in horror.

"Ouch, that's going to leave a few ugly dents." Pointed out Knock Out with a small flinch. "That's why I don't participate in this events, despite been the fastest and most appealing machine around this city."

"And the most modest." Sighed Breakdown with a small smirk. The red medic glanced back at the blue and grey mech and gave him wink, flickering one single optic. Eleonor smiled at the exchange.

"Are you two done flirting with each other? You have missed the end of the competition, and it was the best match ever!" Cheered Brawl with enthusiast. "It's been a while since I saw so much energon spilled in a combat. Did you enjoy it, little soft Decepticon?"

Eleonor grimaced involuntarily. "Uhh... to be honest... I was a little scared and worried for the mechs..."

Brawl laughed hard in amusement. "You are too soft. Don't worry, they don't kill each other in this kind of competitions. Not usually, anyway. The two combatant mechs weren't even using their guns. Only melee weapons."

"I don't like it either, to be honest." Whispered Thundercracker, leaning closer to Eleonor.

"You are too soft, TC, to be a mighty seeker!" Teased back Skywarp, who had also enjoyed the bloody show.

"I'm not soft. I'm practical. And these are pointless damages and repairs." Huffed the blue seeker. "And after all, someone had to balance our trine."

"Whatever..." Replied Skywarp with a bored expression.

"Hey Shockwave, why don't you jump into the arena and kick some one's aft? You are very strong too." Suggested Frenzy from his perch on Skywarp's shoulder.

"A fight without a purpose would be highly illogical." Stated coldly the huge cyclops mech.

"And you, Starscream?" Asked Frenzy.

"That would be inappropriate for my rank." Said the beige seeker, inspecting his claws with an unworried expression.

"Well, since no one wants to get hurt, to which I concur, let's go to our next stop. The karaoke bar!" Announced Knock Out gleefully.

"Since when do we have such a thing like a _karaoke bar_?" Asked Starscream, honestly surprised.

"Since someone copied the idea from Earth. It's in the leisure district. We can drink and sing. They have both cybertronian and human music." Explained the red medic.

"Primus, I can't wait to see 'Screamer singing! What are we waiting for?" Exclaimed Skywarp.

"That is _so_ not going to happen, 'Warp." Retorted Starscream with a scowl. "It would be even more inappropriate for my rank."

"As you wish... but I'm sure Lord Megatron would have the ultimate spark-failure if we sent him the video file..." Suggested Skywarp with a mischievous grin.

Starscream stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at his wingbrother with an unreadable expression. He was actually pondering the idea.

"Still not going to happen." He said finally, shaking his helm.

* * *

><p>The karaoke bar was dim lit, with several groups of tables and couches set around the main lounge. There were several mechs there already, but none of them was currently singing. They were only drinking high-grade and chatting peacefully. There were different kinds of bars in Kaon, depending of the kind of mechs who frequented them. In the worst ones, there were fights almost every night. But this bar was frequented by more tranquil mechs normally. And most importantly, mechs that somehow liked some of the Earth culture and entertainment. Starscream realized this, and thanked Knock Out inwardly for his choice. Eleonor would probably be safer here.<p>

"Breakdown! Knock Out!" Waved the owner of the local as he saw them entering. He was a big black mech with neon-purple markings. He knew the medic and his assistant because they usually visited his bar. "Good to see you again!"

"Hi, Motormaster!" Waved Knock Out with glee. "We have brought some friends, I hope you don't mind it." He added, pointing to the entrance door. The elite trine, Shockwave, Brawl, Barricade and Frenzy had just entered the local. Motormaster gasped in shock.

"It's a honor, Commander Starscream." Saluted the owner of the local with a slight bow of his helm.

"Just a leisure visit to check the outcome of our rebuilt Cybertron. Be at ease." Replied Starscream, waving a servo dismissively in the air.

"Please, take a seat where ever you want. I'll bring some drinks, it's on the house!" Said Motormaster, disappearing behind the bar.

"Woah, we should hang out with you more often, Commander." Added Barricade with a smirk.

They took seat at a large table that had a terminal in one end. Knock Out explained them how to use it. It's purpose was selecting the songs. There was a cybertronian-sized microphone too.

A few minutes later, Motormaster reappeared with a tray full of cubes.

"Primus! What is that thing you have there?" Gasped Motormaster, almost dropping the tray as he noticed the small human, currently seated between the red medic's arms. Eleonor flinched slightly and shrank to hide herself behind Knock Out arm-plate. He was smaller than Starscream and offered less cover. The beige seeker's wings twitched slightly. He preferred to have Eleonor under his care.

"It's a human! Isn't she a cutie?" Said Knock Out, scooping her up between his servos and showing her to Motormaster. Eleonor gasped and held tightly to one finger.

"Knock Out..." Growled Starscream with a stern tone. "Be careful."

Motormaster, meanwhile was inspecting the human closely.

"Hm... hi, Motormaster..." Said Eleonor shyly, waving a hand. She had heard the owner's name when the red medic had greeted him.

"It speaks!" Gasped owner of the local.

"_She_ speaks." Corrected Frenzy. "And she is the pet of the Air Commander..." Warned the silver mech. Motormaster looked at Starscream and received his icy glare.

"I understand." Replied Motormaster and nodded, getting the hint. This human was not to be harmed. "What is your name, little human?"

"Eleonor." She replied a little intimidated.

"Eleonor, can I offer you something?" He asked.

"I doubt that there is something edible for me in Cybertron..." She said with an apologetic smile. "But I appreciate the gesture. Thank you, you are very kind, Motormaster."

Motormaster blinked in surprise. He didn't expect the human to be so polite and formal. She also seemed relaxed despite her dangerous situation. Her voice sounded soft and shy, but unafraid, and she looked at everything with a mix of curiosity and awe.

"Well, enjoy then your time here, little one." He said.

"Thank you." Replied Eleonor, and Motormaster nodded and headed back for the bar.

"Enough with the presentations!" Exclaimed suddenly Skywarp, taking a gulp of high-grade and grabbing the microphone. "Now... what should I sing...?"

"Hey, Skywarp." Called him Eleonor. They black seeker looked down at her. "Let me pick a song for you, please, I will pick something that suits you." She asked with a sincere smile.

"Of course, sweet-spark!"

Eleonor walked to the terminal on the table. Frenzy helped her searching through the files. In a few seconds, she found a suitable song. 'Life in technicolor', by Coldplay. Skywarp was not the best singer in Cybertron, but he seemed to enjoy his own performance, and by the end of the song the rest of the present mechs were laughing so hard that they could not even speak. Even Starscream was chuckling in amusement.

"Me next!" Chirped Knock Out. "Eleonor, pick something nice for me!"

"Oh! I have the perfect song for you!" She replied, and this time, it only took her a few seconds to find the song she was thinking of. 'Don't cha', by Pussicat Dolls. And Knock Out, unlike the black seeker, indeed knew how to sing. Not only he sang perfectly, he was living the music! He even stood up and went to the dance floor, proving that he also knew how to dance. His sensual and purring voice matched perfectly with his flirty moves. And the naughty looks he was giving Breakdown were too much to bear. The poor blue and gray mech was grateful when the song ended, because he was at the edge of having a spark-failure, to the rest of the mech's amusement.

"Well, although I'm sure that no one here can improve Knock Out's _impressive performance_... I still want to try..." Sighed Thundercracker, surprising everyone. They didn't expect the calm mech to join them singing. "Eleonor, please?"

"Of course!" She nodded, and went to check the list of songs on the terminal. After a minute she found the perfect one for Thundercracker. It was tranquil and easy to sing. 'Before it's too late', by Goo Goo Dolls. The blue seeker was way better than his wingbrother, but of course, not as good as the medic. Still, he did it fairly well, and did not sing out of tune. The rest of the mechs nodded in approval.

"My turn!" Intervened Barricade. "Human, pick a good song for a bad cop car!"

"Yes, officer!" She laughed, and resumed her searching through the files. "Aha!" She hummed. 'New divide', by Linkin Park. Again, he was not as good as the medic, but he put a lot of emphasis to the lyrics, and nearly roared the chorus. It was very impressive.

"Nice one, 'Cade." Cheered Frenzy to his mission partner. The police car grinned back.

"Why don't you sing now, Frenzy?" Suggested Eleonor.

"I'm not sure... Well, I guess you are very good picking songs... but you'll have to dance with me!" Replied the tiny silver mech with a mischievous smirk.

"Ahhh no! I don't know how to dance!" She protested.

"But you danced with that game on the carpet!" Pointed out Frenzy

"That was totally different, the game told me where to put my feet. And you and Barricade were better than me at it..."

"Come on, shy girl! Go for it!" Cheered Knock Out. "I can show you a few moves if you want." He purred with complicity, winking an optic. Eleonor's jaw dropped and the look on her face made the rest of the present mechs laugh hard.

"Eleonor." Called Starscream suddenly, surprising her. The beige seeker had been quietly enjoying the evening until now. "If you dance with Frenzy, I will sing a song." Skywarp gasped, hearing his wingbrother's words.

"Sweet Primus! Eleonor! You. Have. To. Dance. Now!" Wailed the black seeker. "Please!"

Eleonor face-palmed and sighed in defeat.

"Arhg, OK!" She gave up. There were no other people to make fun of her anyway. Only mechs.

"Yay! Pick the song!" Cheered Frenzy. She picked a remix version of 'Don't wanna go home', by Jason Derulo. It was a very danceable song. The small silver mech picked a smaller microphone. Since the cybertronians came in a great variety of sizes, they had several sizes of microphones in the karaoke bar. Fortunately, Frenzy did most of the dancing, singing and circling around her, leading her movements. She was not a good dancer, but with the small mech's guidance her performance turned out to be quite acceptable. Well, maybe she nearly tripped over Frenzy a couple of times, but he was quick enough to get out of the way. Knock Out was again on the dance floor, and had somehow managed to drag Breakdown with him. Right now, the bulky blue and grey mech was struggling to keep pace with the smaller and more agile medic.

The long remix ended, and Eleonor was panting, inhaling deeply through her nose to let the Oxygen fill her.

"I hope... it was worth it..." She panted. Starscream was still laughing in amusement.

"Totally worth it!" Admitted the beige seeker. "Now, pick me a song worthy of the Decepticon Second in Command!" He said, finishing his high-grade in one gulp.

"Oh, Megatron is going to have a spark-failure when he hears this!" She knew instantly the perfect song. One from the soundtrack of a James Bond movie. 'You know my name', by Chris Cornell.

_Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you_  
><em>The odds will betray you<em>  
><em>And I will replace you<em>  
><em>You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you<em>  
><em>It longs to kill you<em>  
><em>Are you willing to die?<em>

The beige seeker of course was not as good as the medic, but at least he was better than Skywarp, almost at the level of Barricade. He looked ferocious and ruthless as he sang. Maybe he screeched a little at the final chorus, but he found the lyrics very suitable. Her pet had chosen well.

"Oh yes, I will be Lord Starscream soon." He purred, earning a collective chuckle from the rest of the presents. Even Shockwave could not hide his laugh. The Second in Command had long ago abandoned his intentions to overthrow his Leader, but instead, he tried to give Megatron a spark-failure once a while with this kind of things. "And you, little pet, aren't you going to sing?"

"Uh... I don't sing well." She replied.

"You can't be worse than Skywarp, come on!" Encouraged Thundercracker.

"Hey!" Cried the black seeker, indignant.

"Fine... I'll sing..." She sighed in defeat. "But please don't laugh at me..." Starscream grinned in victory. She searched through the songs. "Hm, this would be a nice one..." She murmured. 'Home', by Depeche mode. It was slow and easy to sing. The original singer was male, but she sang it anyway. After all, Knock Out's song had originally a female singer, and the change had turned out to be very good.

_And I thank you for bringing me here_  
><em>For showing me home<em>  
><em>For singing these tears<em>  
><em>Finally I've found that I belong here<em>

Soon, everymech in the local had their optics on her. She was not the best singer, but her soft and shy female voice turned the song almost into a ballad. She sounded far different from any mech, because cybertronian voices had an inherent metallic edge on them, some of them a little digitalized. But her voice, in contrast, was crystal clear and gentle. It could be mainly because it was just different, but it attracted attention.

Eleonor finalized the song and glanced around her. Everymech was silently staring at her.

"Umm... I am sorry if it was too bad..." She said timidly.

"I want you in my bar. Forever." Said suddenly Motormaster very seriously, appearing from nowhere. Eleonor blushed madly.

"She's mine!" Hissed Starscream possessively.

"Just saying!" Apologized Motormaster holding up his servos defensively in the air, and then he went back to the bar.

"Well, anyone else?" Asked Frenzy, looking at the mechs that still had not taken part in the karaoke. Breakdown, Brawl and Shockwave shook their helms.

"I do not appreciate this kind of... _blackmail material_ to go around the comm. links." Said Shockwave with an even tone.

Then, the alarm of Eleonor's smartphone beeped again and she stiffened. Starscream extracted from sub-space the last Oxygen cylinder and handed it to her.

"This is the last one. We must go back to the ship. It should be ready for our departure by now." Warned Starscream, back to seriousness, as he watched her changing the tubes.

"Yes, Sir." She replied formally. They have had a great time, but Starscream had brought her here for a reason, she had a job to do. And hell, she was eager to explore that new planet!

"Aww... but we were having such a good time..." Wined Frenzy.

"Don't worry, I'll come back sometime." She said reassuringly. "And you still owe me a hug." She added with a smile.

"Why me? What have I done to deserve this?" Wined Frenzy again, but he was smirking.

"Because you are the only mech here with the appropriate size." She stated with a shrug. "Well, I've had a great afternoon here, thank you all, honestly." She smiled to the present mechs. "And Knock Out, Breakdown, it has been a pleasure. You two are very nice."

"Breakdown is nice." Corrected the red medic with a cocky grin. "I am _fabulous_." He purred, and reached down a single servo so that Eleonor could give him a small 'handshake'.

"And modest." Added Breakdown, and petted her very gently with a servo.

"Woah! Breakdown, you have overcame your fears and actually touched her!" Pointed out the red mech.

"Well, you are still alive, aren't you? And you have been carrying her around the whole afternoon." Asked the blue and grey mech.

"Uh, I don't know, I'm starting to feel pretty dizzy... I think you'll have to carry me all they way home..." Replied the medic with a dramatic expression.

"And if I scratch your paint in the process?" Warned Breakdown with a smirk. The red sports car flinched, reconsidering the idea.

"He can always buff you later." Pointed out Eleonor with complicity.

"You have the best ideas!" Gasped Knock Out.

"Well, we are leaving!" Intervened Starscream, rising from his seat. "Hopefully before Breakdown decides to _buff_ Knock Out unconscious right in front of everyone and all over the table." He added, making the rest of the mechs burst in laughter.

"Bye!" Waved Eleonor. "And tell Motormaster that he has a nice club!"

* * *

><p>Starscream soared silently through the now dark cybertronian skies, headed back to the spaceship station.<p>

"Thank you, Starscream." Said suddenly Eleonor, breaking the silence.

"For what?" Asked the seeker, coming out from his own thoughts.

"Well... I know it was not strictly necessary to do this _tour_ around Kaon with the rest of the gang..." She said, fidgeting a little with the seat-belt.

"Hmm... it's OK." Murmured the seeker. "Besides, most of them would not openly admit missing a fleshling, but they did." Eleonor laughed softly. So much for the cold-blooded Decepticons.

"And you? Did you miss me?" She asked, pushing her luck and trying to tease him.

"Me? Nah." He said dismissively. Of course he was not about to betray his sparkless-Decepticon-warrior facade. "I just needed a lab assistant, and you were the only one qualified enough. Also I know you would not back-stab me at the slightest chance."

Eleonor felt warm at Starscream's praise. He trusted her too. Of course there had to be more qualified mechs in Cybertron, she knew it. After all, their life-spans were much longer, and they had time to learn many more things. But he had preferred her. She felt truly honored.

"That's good to hear. I like to be useful." She smiled. "And how is that new planet? Does it have a name?"

"It's name is currently 63-N-8571. If we had to put a name to every planet that we discover, we would have ran out of names many years ago..." He chuckled. "You can give it a nick-name if it makes you happy." He replied.

"At least a nick-name would be easier to remember for me. And how is it? Does it still have tectonic activity? Does it have satellites? Does it have life-forms?" She was getting more excited with each question.

"Hush you. I'm not telling you anything. I want you to see it by yourself." He reprimanded.

"Oh, a surprise then. OK. I can deal with that." She smiled, trying to remain calm. Her scientific side was struggling to take control of her. A new planet. There was so much she could learn. This was indeed, the chance of a lifetime.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the dock where their ship was stationed. Soundwave was there too.

"Soundwave." Saluted Starscream, a little surprised to find the Third in Command there, waiting for them. "Did something happen?"

"Negative." Replied the blue mech with his emotionless voice. He extracted a datapad and handed it to the beige seeker. Starscream inspected it for a while.

"This is the list of raw materials that we are lacking. I take it that if we find something of this, Lord Megatron would be pleased, isn't it?" Asked the beige jet. Soundwave nodded in silent reply. "Fine." He agreed with a shrug. "One more thing, can you take care of my pet for a couple of kliks while I go to report the ship's departure?" Soundwave nodded again and the seeker left the human on his servos, then he went to the control tower.

"Soundwave, Sir." Called Eleonor. The blue mech glanced down at her questioningly. The young woman looked around her to make herself sure that no one else was listening. "I... I brought a present for Lord Megatron, but I was a little scared to give it to him in front of everyone... I also know that he has a reputation to maintain and that he probably would never accept anything from a human... but... I thought he would like it..." She trailed off hesitantly. Soundwave continued to stare at her, and tilted his helm slightly. Eleonor extracted a USB flash memory from a pocket in her coat and held it in her hand. "It's a book. An e-book, actually, so he can read it anywhere. Lord Megatron is always reading reports on his datapad, so I assumed he enjoyed the lecture, and I thought he would like to read something else..." She said, a little embarrassed. "Do you think you could, I don't know... leave it on his desk or something?" Soundwave looked intently at her for some seconds and smiled very faintly behind his face-mask.

"Affirmative." He replied finally, in his usual monotone voice. Producing a small wire from his wrist joint, Soundwave picked the USB memory and hid it back under his armor, a glint of amusement crossing his processors.

"Thank you." Nodded Eleonor with a smile.

A while later, Starscream came back.

"Well, everything is ready. We are leaving." He announced. Eleonor smiled widely and jumped on his offered servo. She was trying very hard to remain calm and not to squeal in excitement.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** I sincerely hope that you had the same fun reading this chapter as I had writing it. And I sincerely recommend you to listen to the songs if you have the opportunity, specially Starscream's one, it's one of my favourites. Anyway, Breakdown, you are so damn cute when your cooling fans kick in!

**[A/N]2:** BTW, anybody knows how Shockwave drinks his energon? Well, I always have in mind the DOTM model, but... how did he make it before that? Oh, and one more thing, I've added a cybertronian time key, extracted from TF wiki. Just in case.

**[A/N]2:** And enough with the fluffies! I hope that the next chapter gets more serious or I will have to change the category... grrr.


	6. 63N8571

**[A/N]:** Sorry for the delay. I've been... kind of... busy. I hope that you didn't lost the interest on the story T_T. This was hard to write. Anyway, long chapter is long. Beware. And thank you for reading.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6: 63-N-8571<span>

The spaceship gained altitude, slowly heading to the Kaon's space bridge. Once there, Starscream sent the coordinates and it came to life, it's central portal glowing with burning blueish-white light. Eleonor held tightly to Starscream's servos and closed her eyes. The warping process always left her a little dizzy.

"Are we here?" Asked the young woman, looking through the ship's monitors. They seemed to be on a planet. The ground was tawny colored, and it looked like it had no atmosphere, because they could see the dark firmament perfectly.

"No, this is the planet's main satellite. We built a small space bridge here." The beige seeker informed.

"Oh, how many satellites does it has?." Asked Eleonor, eagerly looking through the monitors.

"Three, all of them smaller than your Moon."

Soon, a blueish planet appeared, rising over the tawny horizon of the satellite. It looked similar to the pictures taken from the Moon, with the Earth rising over it's surface. But this time, everything was completely alien. Eleonor stared wide eyed. At first glance, it looked very similar to Earth. Definitely, it had a lot of water because she could clearly see the oceans. And of course, if there was liquid water, there had to be atmospheric phenomena, so there were white clouds too. The landmasses were smaller than Earth's, and were scattered in islands of several sizes and archipelagos. The color of the ground was mostly dark brown, but there were patches every now and then of different shades of blue, purple and red.

"It's very similar in size to Earth, isn't it?" Asked Eleonor.

"A little smaller. It has 85% of Earth's mass."

"Cool, I'll weight a little less." She replied. "Cybertron seemed much bigger than Earth, but it's gravity was similar. Your home planet is less dense, isn't it?"

"True." Replied Starscream. "That's because Cybertron is mostly hollow. It has many tubes, corridors, freeways and compartments inside and through it." Eleonor pondered the information for some seconds and wanted to ask something else, but decided not to. Right now, she had to focus herself on the new planet. Learning more about Cybertron could wait.

The spaceship altered its course slightly, and headed for one of the biggest landmasses on the planet. Starscream's base was there.

* * *

><p>It was not a very big base by cybertronian standards, but it was more than enough for a seeker and a human. Eleonor was surprised when she found that appropriate furniture, bathroom and kitchen units were already installed. She recognized them as the ones present in the Nemesis long time ago, when she had been working for the Decepticons there.<p>

About two hours later, all the supplies were properly organized in Eleonor's quarters. Fortunately, Starscream had helped carrying the heaviest crates, but still, arranging everything was also a tedious task.

"Uf, I'm exhausted." Sighed Eleonor, letting herself drop onto the bed and lying down on her back, looking to the ceiling. Right then, a small growl could be heard coming from her belly.

"And hungry, it seems." Starscream chuckled, coming into her line of vision, towering above her.

"That can wait. First I want to go out and see everything!" She said, in a tired but still cheerful tone. The seeker crouched over her, each servo at opposite sides of the bed and narrowed his optics slightly.

"How long has it been since you last fueled or recharged?" He asked with seriousness, his intimidating face-plates barely two meters over her.

"Humm..." Eleonor hesitated. She was a bit lost with inter-planetary jet-lag and a bit overwhelmed by the close proximity of the seeker above her.

"Ten hours since you last fueled and twelve since you recharged." He bluntly pointed out. "And you are of no use to me if you are exhausted. So, you know what you must do, don't you?" He suggested a little roughly, but below the suggestion was an unstated but implicit command.

"Yes, Sir." She gave up. But she smiled inwardly. This kind of rough orders for her own good were the seeker's way of express caring without seeming too soft.

"Good." He nodded with a slight smirk and raised. "This planet is not going anywhere without us." And with that, he left the room to give the human some privacy.

* * *

><p>Starscream, meanwhile, did some maintenance around the base and checked the systems and terminals. Everything seemed in order. Not finding anything else to do for the moment, he decided to get himself some recharge too.<p>

Most of the cybertronians preferred to recharge in their mech form, lying on a berth. But some preferred to do it in alt mode, specially those with flier alt-forms. They didn't like lying on their wings, it was uncomfortable after a while. And this was also Starscream's case. So, he went to his quarters and transformed, sinking slowly on his tires.

It had been a long day. Many things had happened. None of them particularly tiring, but very varied. The first warp from Mars, the arrival to Cybertron, a little relaxed time at the palace's rec. room, the tour around Kaon... Well, the tour was not absolutely necessary but he had secretly enjoyed his small assistant's expressions of awe. Of course, everything was new and amazing for her.

It was normal, she was a scientist. She lived to discover new things, and giving her the chance to explore a new planet had been the best of gifts for her.

He smiled inwardly, thinking of her small and loyal lab assistant. He had been trying to convince himself that the reason of bringing her here was because he really needed reliable help in the lab. That no mech in Cybertron fulfilled the requirements.

All lies. He was more than capable of handling his own experiments and explorations.

That human was _his_. Megatron had given her to him. Bringing her here has been a little whim, but it was justified because he was very possessive of what belonged to him.

No. That was also a lie.

The jet expelled hot air from his intakes, mimicking a sigh. He was having an internal battle with himself and losing miserably. The truth was that he enjoyed her company. He felt truly intrigued and curious for her kindness and her caring nature, two things that were very scarce among the Decepticon ranks.

Humans tended to be obnoxious creatures. Always looking for their own interests, money, power, mates. Busied and hurried. Resentful. Selfish.

But not her. For a long time she had worked to help her planet, developing new clean energy sources. And later, she had worked for the Decepticons, helping them to reconstruct the Allspark to save Cybertron. And had she asked anything in return? No. She seemed just content to be around them, learning things that she had never dreamt of.

She also irradiated an almost palpable aura of tranquility and calmness. Always trying to remain serene and logic, even in the hardest situations. Her mere presence was soothing.

Of course she was different from the cybertronians, but also from the rest of the human kind. Starscream, as the scientist he was, also wanted to know what made her so different.

Pits. He had travelled half Universe to get her. There was just no logic excuse for that. He felt ashamed for admitting it.

"All this thinking is going nowhere." He thought, and decided to force his systems to shut down to get some recharge. All the mysteries could wait a couple of joors.

* * *

><p>Eight hours later, Eleonor's smartphone beeped. She had had a light meal, a proper shower and good sleep time.<p>

"Hmm..." She murmured, reaching for the phone to set off the alarm. Then she gasped, remembering where she was and all the things she wanted to do that today.

Jumping out of the bed, she dressed and readied herself for a long and surely exciting day of discoveries. She still couldn't believe her luck. Starscream had came back for her. She felt truly honored. She had to make herself useful once again. She wanted him to be proud of her.

She approached tentatively to the door of her quarters, and it opened for itself. The seeker had tuned it to open at her proximity. Mentally thanking him, she stepped out of the room and into the corridor. Now, where could he be?

Wandering through the ample mech-sized corridors, she arrived to another door. She flinched in surprise when it also opened for itself at her proximity, taking her by surprise. Inside was the huge alien F-22, resting low on his tires and looking innocent.

"Starscream...?" She whispered cautiously. No response. "He must have fallen in recharge, bored of waiting for me." She thought for herself.

She gingerly approached and stopped in front of him. And just stood there. She could feel the warmth emanating from the jet, undoubtedly differentiating him from any non-sentient machine. Cybertronians were such powerful beings. Huge and mighty. Capable of great destruction but also of great good, like the Decepticons had vastly demonstrated when they reconstructed the Allspark to save their planet. She found them fascinating.

And Starscream in particular was a mystery. The first time he had seen her, he had almost killed her. He hated her. But little by little, working together for a common goal, their differences had somehow faded away. He hid behind the mask of been a heartless (or spark-less) warrior, but he was also capable of caring. He cared deeply for his brothers, and he had also demonstrated caring for her, although he didn't like to admit it.

"He came back for me." She repeated in her mind, and smiled softly. Taking a couple of steps closer, she reached up a hand, tempted to stroke the jet's fuselage. But she stopped when only a few centimeters separated them. "Maybe he won't like to be awaken from recharge..." She thought, biting her bottom lip, and recoiled slowly. And the last time she had dared to caress him it had ended up all wrong and with the Autobot medic making fun of him.

"Why did you stop?" The jet suddenly asked, making Eleonor jump in surprise.

"I-I thought that... you were asleep and wouldn't like to be awaken..." She replied, trying to recover from a near-heart-attack. "And that maybe you could feel indignant by the ...petting..."

"I'll decide that later." He replied, a smirk hidden in his tone. Eleonor laughed quietly and finally placed a hand of the jet's lower fuselage and rubbed it gently, feeling the smooth warm metal. "Ah, that's better..." He murmured, relaxing and dropping his wings very slightly.

"Did you were awake the whole time?"

"Since you abandoned your quarters. The base has motion detectors and I set it to warn me. That without mentioning my own proximity sensors, that would have warned me the moment you opened my door even if I were in recharge." He explained.

"Yes, sometimes I forget that you belong to a technologically advanced alien race..." She laughed. "So, why didn't you say something?"

"I enjoy how you look at me when you think I'm not paying attention. With a mix of curiosity and admiration." He teased. Eleonor blushed. "And how you bush when you are caught."

"Ahem, w-well... you know how curious I can be..." She apologized. "And it's not my fault that you are an awesome giant alien robot from space." She thought for herself, and paused in silence for a while, stopping the strokes. Revelation hit her. "This... this is vengeance for all the embarrassment suffered at the Autobot base, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Continue petting and praising me, slave." He replied. Eleonor burst in laughter, and resumed the caressing of the jet's right wing.

"You're mean, master." She teased back. She should have felt indignant, but she just couldn't be mad at him. "At least, Ratchet can't spoil the moment here."

"Good grief, this is the only moment of peace and quiet I have had since I went to Earth. No meddling Autobots, no eccentric seeker brothers, no other Decepticons trying to steal my pet..." He exclaimed, relieved to have at least some time alone with his human. A small occasion to relax, without caring about what would the other Decepticons think if they saw him hanging out with an inferior species.

"So, just you and me, uh? Like the old times." She smiled.

"Yes, and nobody can hear you scream now!" He laughed evilly, and recoiling slightly, he transformed back to mech form, crouching over her with an intimidating pose. Of course, he was just playing the evil Decepticon role. He reached for her with a huge servo, his claws extended as he grabbed her (carefully).

"Oh no! Who is going to save me now?" She exclaimed, in mocked distress, and feigned fainting in his servos, very theatrically. Starscream chuckled in amusement. Yes, it felt good not having to care about formalities or composure for a while.

"Well, do you still want to go out and take a look around?" He offered after a while of snickering.

"Of course!"

* * *

><p>Eleonor held tightly to the seat-belt as Starscream soared easily through the alien skies, close to the surface.<p>

"Wait..." She murmured suddenly, as she looked up to the sky and took notice of one little detail that had slipped until now. "A binary star system? This is unbelievable!" There were two small suns rising over the skyline.

"Yes. Two twin stars." The jet replied, like if it was the most common thing in the Universe.

"It's all so foreign..." She muttered, mostly for herself, and continued to inspect the landscape.

There were multitude of small landmasses and islands. It was a very aquatic planet. Some of the shorelines were cliffs, and others had gravel or sand. And while the exposed earth and rocks had brownish and grayish colors, near the water it turned to red, purple and blue.

"Why do the shorelines have that colors? Can we land and take a look? I would like to check them closer." She asked. The seeker altered his curse in silent response, and searched for a clear place to land. He found a suitable place near a lagoon.

The young woman climbed down the jet and approached to the shoreline.

"Is this...?" She muttered, crouching over a patch of soft reddish material. "This is alive!" She gasped and turned to stare at the seeker with wide eyes. "You brought me to a planet with other forms of life!" Starscream smirked innocently at her. "Why didn't you tell me before? This is... this is... damn it! I have no words left!" The mech chuckled loudly at her lost composure.

"Hmm... Surprise?"

"I've got to study this! They seem to be some kind of photosynthetic organisms... and instead of green, the chosen pigments here are red and blue..." She approached to the water. "They grow only near water... they also need it to live..." She paused, looking at shallow waters. "Holy crap! There is something swimming there!"

"I take it that you are happy." The seeker gave a smug grin, enjoying to see his human in utter scientific rush, trying to observe everything she could and drawing conclusions and hypothesis.

"If this is a dream, please don't wake me up. Never."

* * *

><p><em>[One week later.]<em>

A week had passed. Starscream was still scouting for useful minerals and ore, while Eleonor spent her time trying to gather all the data she could from the planet's life forms. First, she had focused on the interactions between them and their biology. So far, she had discovered both similarities and differences with Earth's ones. For example, there were also primary producers, but the first source of energy could be the sun or the chemicals encased in the rock. Actually, there were autotrophs that literally eat rock, and left behind other minerals mixed with organic residues as waste.

Eleonor paused from her work and glanced at Starscream. He was focused on the results of one of the lab machines. She sighed inwardly. The seeker had brought her here with the excuse of helping him in his work. But instead of that, he had let her gather data about the life forms. It was highly interesting, but she was not been helpful, and she felt bad for that.

"How does your work go, Sir?"

"Hmm... Not as good as I would like. The atmospheric phenomena and the reflection of the radio-waves on the water-masses cause distortion in the scanners. Thus, I'm having a hard time locating mineral deposits. The readings are very faint." He explained, a little disappointed. "...If only I could trace something more conspicuous..."

Eleonor felt a little downhearted. She was of no use. With a long sad sigh, she leaned over her desk.

"I'm useless." She admitted with regret. The seeker paused his work to scowl at her.

"I won't tolerate self doubts in my assistant."

"But I am not helping at all with your work." She replied.

"You are gathering useful data about unknown life forms." He paused for a moment. "I thought that, as a biologist, this would be very pleasant to you." The seeker added. Eleonor felt even worse. Was he doing all this for her? She felt highly indulged.

"Don't get me wrong, please... This is the dream of any biologist... But I feel bad for not helping you in your work... I want to..." She paused. "I want to please you and be useful for you. Bringing me here has been the greatest gift I've ever received in my life. And I want to repay you somehow..." She confessed with a sad glint in her voice.

Starscream felt his spark shrank and was lost for words for a while. How could he explain her the true reasons for bringing her here? He just wanted to keep her close all the time he could manage. It was completely egoistical.

"I..." He started to say, but paused. What could he say? That he actually didn't need her help? That he could handle by himself all his work? That would be insulting. "You are helpful just been here." He finally said, trying to keep his tone as neutral as he could.

Eleonor fell in silence for a long awkward moment, her keen mind chewing the seeker's words and drawing conclusions at a fast rate.

"You didn't need me..." She stated, also in a neutral tone. "After all, I suppose I'm just an indulged pet..." She muttered with a sad sigh.

Starscream's wings twitched. He was trying to hide it, but she had discovered it. He cursed himself for speaking empty words. And cursed himself again for letting an inferior being affect him in irrational ways. But then again, this human was different from the rest. He crouched and scooped her up, leaving her on his working table, between his servos and forearms. That way they could look at each other more directly. He stared at her in silence for a while, his optics dimmed, thinking about the best way to confess his motives.

"I am not going to lie to you." He finally said, letting out a long sigh through his vents in defeat. "I didn't need your help with the research." He admitted. Eleonor's face changed to a hurt expression, and Starscream felt a pang in his spark.

"Then... why did you cross half Universe to bring me here?" She asked softly.

Starscream growled slightly and looked away, unable to bear her hurt expression any longer.

"Because..." He murmured. "I wanted you to be near me."

"But why me? I am only a puny and useless human compared to you. I do not deserve all this... indulgence."

"You are wrong." He shook his helm. Arhg. To the Pits with the spark-less Decepticon warrior facade. "You are different. Special. You always have this... aura of peace and calmness surrounding you. I find it oddly soothing. I like you to be near me... You can speak of other things that are not grudges or revenge. You are like a small lighthouse of kindness in a world that still bears the scars of war." He gave a tired sigh. "I know it sounds stupid."

Eleonor fell in silence, quietly contemplating the seeker. Her hurt expression had been slowly replaced by a sympathetic one.

"Is that all?" She asked, feeling that the beige mech was still keeping something for himself.

Starscream looked away, now utterly convinced that in fact, human femmes could read minds.

"I... know that humans don't have very long life spans. And I wanted to... take advantage of all the time I could... before..." He trailed off. Judging from the look in Eleonor's face he didn't have to finish that sentence. She already knew. "I know it's selfish. And I am sorry. You should probably be better in Earth. Where you belong. Doing the proper things a human should do, and not wasting your life taking unnecessary risks..."

"Starscream..." She whispered. Been reminded of how fragile she was in comparison to him, hurt. It hurt a lot. The seeker looked back at her. Her eyes glimmered with contained tears. "I am exactly where I want to be." She said with a sad but sincere smile, running a hand over the mech's servo, rubbing it affectionately. Starscream replied touching her cheek very gently with the back of a claw. He felt like if a huge weight had been lifted of his shoulders. "Don't worry about me." She reassured.

They fell in silence for a bit longer, but it was not an awkward silence. They were just pondering things inwardly.

"So... soothing, uh?" Eleonor asked, trying to cheer up. Starscream smirked casually and his optics brightened again.

"Well, based on the current evidence, you can even make Brawl behave in an almost civic way. And that's quite a feat." He chuckled. "I swear, you can read minds. You know exactly what lies beneath our thick armor and what to say to bring it out. It's scary." Eleonor laughed softly.

"I have no mystical powers, honestly. Despite how much you and Ratchet insist on it. I am just a good observer. And I usually look at things from a different point of view."

"And what do you see now?" He enigmatically asked, leaning closer until his face-plates were only a couple of meters away from her. Eleonor was thoughtful for a moment, looking deep into Starscream's ruby optics, trying to figure out if it was a trap question.

"I see that beneath all that spark-less Decepticon warrior facade lies a noble soul. Buried by eons of war and hatred, but still capable of caring." She concluded.

"Hmpf. I can't hide anything from you, can I?" He pouted in feigned indignation.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." She replied with a wink and an affectionate pat. "Wait a second..." She murmured suddenly. Starscream looked back at her questioningly. "Are those the minerals you were searching for?" She asked, pointing at some samples over the desk she was standing on. She had just noticed them.

"Yes, they are. But like I told you before, they are very inconspicuous on the scans."

"Do you think my organic samples would be easier to pick up?"

"Hmm..." He hummed while thinking. He reached for the human-sized working desk and selected one of the samples. Then, he went to the scanner and tuned it to pick up the signal of the organic sample. In a few minutes, he had his answer. "Yes, I can track it quite easily. Though I must admit I don't know why we would need to track organic waste."

Eleonor started to giggle, and soon she was laughing so hard that she had to seat on the table.

"I've found the solution to your problems, master." She declared, and Starscream gave her a quizzical look, tilting his helm to a side. "Some of the microorganisms in this planet eat rocks and left behind minerals and organic residues. You just need to look for the organic waste to find the minerals." She explained.

The seeker stared at her, lost for words. Suddenly, he scooped her up between his servos and rose her to optic level.

"Don't you ever say again that your researches are useless, my dear lab assistant." He said very seriously, pointing at her with a sharp claw for enphasis.

"No Sir." She smiled.

"You indeed know how to look at things from a different point of view." Starscream smirked. His human had made herself useful once again. He felt proud of her.

* * *

><p><em>[Two weeks later.]<em>

Two more weeks had passed. Eleonor continued to gather data from the planet's life forms. After all, who knew how useful could the information be. Starscream's duty was now easier, because the new way of scouting mineral deposits was very precise. They usually worked the whole morning and a little in the afternoon, but stopped in the evening to relax for a while and exchange their latest discoveries. And when there was nothing else important to discuss, they just enjoyed the mutual company and Eleonor used to ask questions about cybertronians.

At the moment, they were outside the base, enjoying the alien and beautiful double sunset of the binary star.

"So, are you finding a lot of similarities between this planet and Earth?" Starscream asked.

"Yes. It is very interesting. I am establishing some points that should be standard for any planet able to sustain life. It is also helping to understand how life may have evolved in Earth." She explained. "For example, the basic ecological niches are the same: primary producers and consumers. And there are also herbivores and carnivores. Although sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between them... It's fascinating."

"So, for now, you are only taking notes about the ecological interactions and relationships."

"Yes. I would like to learn also about their microscopic organization and molecular composition. But I don't have the equipment..." She said.

"Who says you don't have the equipment?" He asked.

"Do we have it?"

"Of course. Why didn't you ask?" He chuckled.

"Uh... I don't know... I supposed..." She trailed off. "So, can we tomorrow take a closer look to some of the organisms and analyze their molecular composition?" She asked in excitement.

"I can't see the problem." He smirked. Eleonor nodded grateful.

They spent a little longer just enjoying the view. The planet's days were slightly longer than Earth's ones. Twenty-seven hours. But Eleonor was used to it by now.

"I wonder what is Skywarp doing at the moment." She hummed, recalling their friends back in Cybertron. "Scheming pranks or spending time in the brig?"

Starscream was silent for a while, his optics dimmed, until he spoke.

"He is cleaning the Palace's sewers as a punishment for his latest prank." He chuckled. He had just contacted him through is seeker bond link. "Megatron knows that brig time is of no use with 'Warp. He doesn't learn. So it's better to put him to work. The more tedious the task, the better."

"And Thundercracker?" She asked, now aware that Starscream could still contact his brothers from where they were.

"Watching a film from your selection. The 'Iron Giant' he says. He also tells me that you humans are mean and evil." He added. Eleonor laughed.

"Then tell him not to see 'Short Circuit'... Hmm... But he would probably like 'The Bicentennial Man'. I cried a lot with that one. I'm sure he would like the drama." She giggled.

"Hmm... done." He murmured, and ended the conversation with his brothers.

"Can Cybertronians cry? Or do they have an equivalent?" She asked suddenly. The seeker stared at her, a little puzzled. "I was just curious."

"No, we do not. Our optics don't need to be humidified to work properly. And if you were referring to expressing emotions, we don't express it that way." He explained. He knew that his human was just curious about cybertronian biology and behaviour. She still wanted to know many things about them, but with their tedious work in the lab, she almost didn't had time to ask and satisfy her curiosity. "An extremely upset mech would had his optics dimmed, and could emit soft clicking noises with his vocalizer, interrupted by bursts of static. That would be the most similar to crying that a cybertronian could do. But it is extremely rare. I've seen very few mechs doing it. It's considered a sign of weakness."

"I see. It's almost the same for humans. It could be seen as a show weakness. Specially men don't like it." She explained.

Starscream chuckled evilly and offered a servo for her to climb up, rising the young woman to a more comfortable height to speak with her.

"I recall you crying at least a couple of times." He said with malice. Eleonor shifted uneasy in his palm.

"Well... I try not to do it... but sometimes I can't help it... Can we change the subject?" She pleaded, fidgeting a little.

"No, you asked first. Now suffer." He chuckled darkly. Eleonor cursed herself. "The first time was when I almost killed you."

"Well, I feared for my life. I think it's justified."

"...And the second time was when you exchanged yourself for me." He carried on, undeterred.

"..." She tried to reply a couple of times but she didn't find the correct thing to say. "That time I feared for your life." She admitted.

"How swiftly things change." He hummed, teasingly.

"I can't help it. I worry about everyone and everything." She sighed in defeat, letting herself drop onto the palm. The seeker smirked in victory.

"You _care_." He continued teasing.

"Impossible, I am a heart-less human scientist." She huffed, trying to sound like him when he claimed to be a spark-less Decepticon warrior.

Starscream chuckled in amusement at her choice of words, but let the matter drop. For now, he had had enough fun teasing his human. Eleonor let out a relieved sigh as the seeker decided to stop his teasing.

"Next time I'm asking something embarrassing for you to get my revenge. You'll see." She threatened.

"I do not fear you, little pet." He smirked.

"What a pity. Knock Out mentioned something about him and Breakdown having some kind of fun that cybertronians could give one to another. I was hoping that someone could enlighten me in the matter."

The seeker laughed hard. Very hard.

"So, the shameless medic has dirtied your mind with disturbing images." He managed to say after a while. Eleonor pouted. "I don't mind explaining it. But I must warn you that _that_ is not an embarrassing thing for cybertronians. Only for your kind. Sometimes human customs make no-sense at all, I swear." He said with a dismissive gesture of his free servo. "But the point is... wouldn't you probably be more embarrassed to hear the explanations?" He asked with malice.

Eleonor froze. Her plan had totally backfired on her.

"OK, bad plan. I take back what I said." She gave up.

"Oh, no. No retreating for you. You wanted it, and you are suffering the consequences." He laughed evilly.

"Primus helps me."

* * *

><p>But despite his threats, Starscream didn't begin with the disturbing explanations. At least for that day. It was getting late anyway, and his pet needed rest and nourishment. So, he let the matter drop with the promise of picking up the thread the next day in the lab. Eleonor was thankful for the moment, but she knew that there was no escape.<p>

The next day in the lab, she was preparing the samples she wanted to analyze while Starscream readied the lab equipment.

"So, what did you want to know?" The seeker asked, hiding a smirk.

Eleonor sighed in defeat, but decided that if she made the questions, it would be less embarrassing and she could lead the conversation. And actually, in the back of her mind a feeling of morbid curiosity was gaining strenght. Damned scientific instincts.

"Knock Out and Breakdown are clearly very... close. It's just... I've never seen any cybertronian behaving like that, and it attracted my attention." She said, after gathering her thoughts for a while.

"Before the War there used to be more mechs like him. Now it is very rare." He said with a glint of sadness in his tone. "One does not usually want the enemy to know his weak points, if you know what I mean. Kidnapping someone and blackmailing his partner or making him doing something against his will to save him... or simply torture him to make the other one confess... that kind of things." Eleonor nodded in understanding. "And still now, that the War has ended, we don't usually like to make many public displays of affection. Hiding it has become the habit." He continued. "And even now some mechs could pick on someone for been too... affectionate."

"But, doesn't Knock Out care about that?"

"No. Because of two main reasons. Firstly, no one in his right mind would pick on a medic, a mech that could be saving your life in the future and who knows any weak points in your inner works. And secondly, both Breakdown and Knock Out are very strong and capable of defending themselves."

"Wow. I can imagine Breakdown wrecking havoc, he is huge and seems to be very strong. But Knock Out too?" It was difficult to believe that a mech that was so concerned about his paint-job was actually a good fighter. Cybertronians indeed were a race of warriors.

"He would surprise you. He may be small in comparison with other mechs, but he is agile and swift. A field medic must be able to defend himself in a conflict. They can be easily targeted and they cannot afford getting caught. If they fall, many more lives can be jeopardized. They cannot fail."

"I understand." She nodded, bringing the now prepared samples to the analytical microscope.

"But even when they do not show it in public, sometimes you can guess who are together if you know what to look at. Subtle glances. Seating close to each other in the rec. room. Disappearing together in their spare time..." He hummed absently, placing the samples in the machine.

"Oh. I'll pay more attention from now on... Who else is paired with someone?" She asked casually. Starscream paused from his work to look down at her with an amused expression.

"That's not scientific curiosity. That's gossip." He teased. Eleonor smiled sheepishly, with guilt written all over her face. "Fine, but first, there is something you must understand." He said, back to seriousness. "_Interfacing_ with someone, as we call it, has a very different meaning for us. Can you scientifically explain the meaning of the mating in your planet?" Eleonor nodded, also with a serious look.

"It's main purpose is reproduction. To perpetuate the species. The pleasure associated with it only serves as a bribe to assure it. Although humans have learned to take advantage of the bribe without accomplishing it's main purpose." She explained. Starscream nodded.

"But for us cybertronians, that perpetuate our species using the Allspark, interfacing is not about reproduction. It's more about sharing feelings, thoughts and memories." He continued. Eleonor seemed to be a bit lost. "It's difficult to explain and understand. We live very long lives. It's inevitable that pain or grief built up little by little. Sometimes you just need to unburden yourself with someone who listens." The young woman seemed to understand once again. "When we connect to each other and lower our firewalls, we can share everything. Emotions, feelings, memories. Everything. Without any need of words." Eleonor nodded. "Specially in war times it really is the only thing that keeps one's sanity. To come back to the ones that matter to you and share your pain, so that it becomes more bearable." He said, his tone laced with sadness as he shook his helm slightly, his mind recalling painful moments.

"I am sorry." Eleonor whispered with concern. She didn't know his questions would make Starscream remember past sorrows.

"Don't worry." He replied soothingly. "Anyway, after we are done with that, we can also have some fun to cheer up."

"Oh, here arrives the awkward part."

"Not quite. It's basically enter in a feedback buckle of pleasure until we _overload_." He replied, matter-of-factly, as he extracted the results of the analytical microscope.

"Wow." She exclaimed in awe, surprised by the professional explanation that the seeker had given her. And made a mental note of not ever using the word 'overload' among cybertronians.

"And about who is with who..." He continued, still pondering if sharing or not the information. "I'm not going to betray anyone's trust, you'll have to discover it for yourself." He chuckled.

"Aww."

"But I can speak for me. I guess it's no secret that I care for my brothers." He granted.

"Really? Aren't you brothers?"

"There exists no incest in our society, where all of us are sparkled the same way. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker could very possibly be also mates and they are twins. It doesn't matter. And it is also frequent to do it with more than one mech. Between seeker trines is very common. And between the members of a team. It's normal to do it with the close ones. The more you know your partners, the better you work together as a team."

"I understand." She nodded and was thoughtful for a while. "And what the hell did I touch when Knock Out put me on his shoulder?" Starscream tried very hard not to burst in laughter. Here came the embarrassing part of the explanation. He was going to have so much fun.

"Certain delicate components of our inner workings can be... pleasurable if touched properly." He explained efficiently, after regaining his composure. Eleonor face-palmed. "Neck-section cables, body wiring, external audio receptors... it depends on the frame type and the mech's tastes, just like in humans."

"Oh my god..." She murmured and blushed deep red.

"Don't worry, it was Knock Out's fault for placing you there. You didn't know." He said reassuringly. "...But I bet your soft little human hands felt _good_." Eleonor was about to faint or die from embarrassment.

"Tell me I haven't touched anything compromising in you." She pleaded with worry.

"Hmm... let me remember..." He hummed, taking his time, making his pet squirm and suffer from critical embarrassment.

"Oh gods... that's a yes..." She buried her head between her arms, leaning on her desk. The seeker, meanwhile was chuckling in amusement. "Is it the wings? The undercarriage? Wait, I prefer not to know. Anyway, I'm not laying a hand on you ever again..." Starscream stopped his giggles suddenly.

"Hey, no! I enjoy that!" He exclaimed, and nearly sounded like skywarp whining.

"In a... erotic way?"

"No, I swear." He said, leaving the results of the analytical microscope over the desk. "Seeker's frames are full of very sensitive receptors to pick up information about air pressure, a necessary thing for flying, specially the wings." He paused. "I know I'm going to regret saying this... but I will trust in your discretion... It's not different from stroking a cat or a dog, seriously. It's just a pleasurable sensation." He sighed.

"Really?" She pouted, peeking from behind her arms.

"Honestly." He smirked. "I like it because no one in Cybertron has your delicacy. Neither would I let many other mechs messing with my wings. So, indulge me with that." He confessed, trying to look innocent.

"Fine..." Eleonor finally agreed, reaching for the small datapad with the results of the analysis. She even felt a little honored. She knew cybertronians usually avoided physical contact, at least in public. And the seeker allowing her to touch him was almost like a privilege. "I am the pet but you like to be petted." She smirked.

"Don't make me regret this, human!" He mock-threatened with another smirk of his own.

Eleonor snickered a bit longer, but she slowly fell in silence as she read the results of the analytical microscope. She fell very silent. Eerily silent.

"Are you sure these are the samples I gave you?" She asked very seriously. The seeker looked back at her a little offended.

"Of course. All nine of them. You can skip between the samples pressing those buttons." He replied, pointing at said controls.

The young woman continued to review all the samples. Starscream looked at her questioningly. After a while, she left the datapad back on the table with shaky hands and stared blankly at nothing in particular.

"Are you OK, Eleonor?" He asked with concern. The young woman looked back at him with an expression that he had never seen before. A mix of surprise, disbelief and outrage.

"No, I am not, Starscream." She admitted shakily. "This can't be possible. Not here..." She murmured mainly for herself. "Please, can we repeat the analysis? It's very important." The seeker only nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Maybe it was a little fluffy, but I wanted to make progress in the relationship between Eleonor and Starscream. And now that they were alone (at last!) was a good moment. And there are more interesting things yet to come. What did Eleonor discover that unsettled her so much? Cha-nan, cha-nan...


	7. Impossible

Chapter 7: Impossible

They repeated the tests. Several times. But the results were always the same. Eleonor turned off the datapad she was using, and placed both hands on her desk. She couldn't believe the results. This couldn't be happening.

"The results are not going to change, Eleonor." Starscream said, with a slightly aggravated sigh. He lowered one servo next to the young woman, offering her a lift. She seated on the open palm with a troubled expression. He left her over his work table, so that they could look at each other more comfortably. "Now, tell me what troubles you." He commanded. He had never seen his human behaving like that. Eleonor usually behaved very professionally in the lab, and she always tried kept her emotions in check. Something should be very wrong to have unsettled her in such way.

She sighed in defeat and her shoulders slumped a little.

"It is going to be a little long to explain." She warned, looking back at the seeker. He replied taking a seat in a cybertronian-sized chair and stared at her with a look that said 'I have literally all the time in the Universe.'

"Speak." He ordered. The woman was in silence for some seconds, thinking about where to start.

"Do you know what are Earth's life forms composed of?" She finally asked.

"Of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons and their derivatives." He efficiently recalled. He was not new in organic chemistry.

"Correct. And those carbon-based compounds can be classified in four categories. Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids." Starscream nodded, he knew that too. His human had started her explanation from a very low level. "All four of them are indispensable. But if I must emphasize the importance of any of them, they would be nucleic acids and proteins."

"If memory serves right, nucleic acids form deoxyribonucleic acids."

"Among others, yes. We call it DNA for short. DNA defines what and who we are. The DNA sequence is _unique_ for each organism and species. Do you know how it works?" She asked.

"I have the basic knowledge." He replied.

"The DNA molecules are instructions. Instructions for how to correctly assemble proteins. And proteins do, literally, everything. From constituting structures to catalyzing chemical reactions. Everything. That is why both of them are extremely important." She explained. The seeker nodded in understanding.

"Go on."

"Proteins are made of smaller sub-units. They are called amino acids. There only exist twenty different types of amino acids. The chosen amino acids and their order in the sequence, determine the protein and its function. And there are infinite combinations."

"So, the DNA instructions actually determine the amino acid sequence of the proteins." Starscream concluded.

Eleonor nodded, satisfied with the seeker's conclusion. That part of the explanation was clear. Now, it was time to move on to another subject.

"Good. Keep all that in mind. Now I must speak about other things." She continued. "Do you have any idea of how the earliest Earth's life forms could have evolved? Or how life could have started?" She asked.

"I honestly have no idea." He admitted.

"Good. No human knows it for sure either." She concurred, making Starscream blink his optics a little surprised. "But a scientist called Stanley Miller designed a experiment in 1950. He recreated what was supposed to be the early Earth's atmosphere, rich in ammonia, methane and hydrogen. And he exposed it to an energy source in form of electrical discharges, like the ones that could be produced in electrical storms. And he let it work for a long time."

"And what happened?" Starscream asked, intrigued by the odd experiment. Eleonor made a dramatic pause.

"Some amino acids and other organic molecules had formed after some time." She stated.

"So, that proved that it was possible for life to develop from inorganic molecules in suitable conditions." He concluded.

"Correct. It seemed very plausible." She agreed. "However, this cannot be corroborated at one hundred per cent, because life developed many millions of years ago, and the exact conditions cannot be recreated. But like I said, it is a very plausible theory."

"I agree. What else?"

"In 2008, the analysis of a meteorite revealed the presence of some biologically relevant molecules, such as nucleic acids. This provided evidence for another theory that had been a little ignored until then." She paused. "That life could have arrived from _outside_ earth. Maybe not the living organisms, but instead the raw basic organic molecules, constituting the 'seeds' for the earliest life forms."

"Also plausible." He agreed. "Where is all this leading us?" He asked, narrowing his optics.

"To a question I must ask you." She said with resolve. Starscream leaned closer. "You are very good with maths. Assuming that the development of life here on this planet and on Earth are independent events, could you calculate the probabilities of all the twenty amino acids been _exactly the same_?" Starscream was in silence for some seconds, his optics dimmed.

"They are infinitesimal."

"And if the development of life in the two planets were_ not_ independent events?" She asked again.

"They would be quite higher."

"That's what I thought." She sighed, closing her eyes and massaging her temples. Starscream froze in place, realizing what his human was trying to say.

"Are you implying that... these life forms here are biologically the same as the ones present in Earth?" He asked.

"The same? No. Similar? Yes." She replied. Their levels of organization are different, the metabolic routes are different, their structures are different... but they all share a molecule that is eerily similar to DNA that also has instructions for organizing amino acids into proteins. And these amino acids, all twenty of them are exactly the same as the ones present in Earth!" She exclaimed in disbelief. "It's like if you constructed two different buildings with the same bricks... It makes no sense at all..." She sighed. The seeker was thoughtful for a while.

"What conclusions can you draw of all this?"

"Life here and on Earth are related somehow. But Earth is so, _so_ far away from here, that it is highly unlikely that a meteor from here or from Earth arrived at the opposite planet, carrying the primordial molecules."

Starscream was in silence for several minutes, running different scenarios in his processors, their implications and consequences.

"Are you thinking the same than me?" He asked after a while.

"Probably. But I don't want to say it." She sighed. "I need more data to be sure before daring to say it."

"Date references."

"Yes." She said, seating cross-legged on the table. She had been running tests almost the whole day, not even pausing for lunch. She was too worried to care for that, and now the tiredness was catching up with her. "I'm exhausted..." She admitted, holding her temples between her hands.

Starscream looked down at her with concern. The young woman was very hard-working, almost a workaholic, and she never slacked or complained about his duties. For her to admit that she was exhausted of working was extremely rare. But it was understandable after that unsettling discovery and it's implications...

...That life on Earth could had been deliberately put there by _someone_.

* * *

><p>Eleonor let herself drop unceremoniously onto the bed. Starscream had brought her to her quarters so that she could rest for a while.<p>

"Everything is so... strange. It doesn't make any sense. But I am sure that it must exist a logical explanation for this mystery." She sighed, closing her eyes, trying to put her thoughts in order. "Though I fear that the explanation could be even more unsettling..."

"Hush you and get some recharge." He commanded, a little harshly. She immediately stopped her rambling. Leaning again on the bed, and closing her eyes, she tried to push the theories and hypothesis to the back of her mind. But if was futile.

"I can't..." She sighed. Starscream suppressed a growl and dropped into his jet form.

"Come here." He ordered, this time softer, opening his cabin and producing a step-ladder.

Eleonor tilted her head questioningly, but complied. Climbing easily, she took seat and nearly yelped in surprise when it folded down slowly to a an almost horizontal position. And discovered that it was actually very comfortable. She let out a sigh very slowly and closed her eyes. She could hear the faint humming of the seeker's own inner workings, reminding her that she was inside a living being. A surprisingly comfortable one, she should admit.

"Is it really that important?" Asked the seeker unusually softly, his voice coming from nowhere in particular inside the cabin. "I mean, nothing is going to change, regardless of you finding out the origin of life in Earth or not. The sun will continue to rise everyday over the horizon, plants will continue to grow and animals to be born. And every night will arrive. Everything will continue its natural course." He reassured.

"... I know... It's just... that I've never thought that this option was even possible." She sighed. "Of course life on Earth has evolved from primordial organic molecules, increasing its complexity over millions of years, under the rules of natural selection. That's a fact." She paused. "But the idea that it could be _someone_ behind it's origin... it just seems wrong to me." She paused again for some seconds. "I don't believe in any sort of... god-like-being controlling my destiny." She admitted, almost chocking on the word 'god'. It sounded like an insult for her strict scientific convictions.

Starscream pondered her words for a while, and realized the problem. A moral conflict.

"Well, whoever sowed the seeds of life on Earth (if someone actually did it, we still have no proof), does not has to be also controlling your destiny or anyone else's." He suggested. "_If_ someone did brought to Earth those primordial molecules, it would have certainly been someone much more powerful than a human, indeed. But not necessarily a god-like-being. Don't you think?"

Eleonor chewed on his words for a while. And she had to agree with them. She had looked at things from the point of view of human capabilities, but taking other beings into account, she found it more plausible. Cybertronians, for instance. And who knew who other intelligent beings capable of such feats were out there in the Universe.

"I suppose you are right." She admitted, letting out a long sigh. She noticed then that the lighting of the room had been dimming slowly during their conversation, and they were now in a pleasant darkness. Sharing his troubled thoughts with the seeker had also been very helpful, and she felt now a little relieved. Perhaps cybertronians and humans were not so different after all, and all she needed was to share her worries with someone else. She felt the stress leaving her, and she relaxed slowly on the comfortable seat. "Thank you for listening, Starscream. And I am sorry for behaving so... improperly."

"It's understandable. Don't worry any longer." He replied.

"I think I'm at peace now. I'd better go back to my bed before I fall asleep here." She said, straightening up.

"Am I not comfortable enough?" He asked. Eleonor blinked at the unexpected question.

"...Of course you are. But I don't wish to bother you any longer."

"You don't bother me. Just go and sleep already."

Eleonor stared dumbfounded at dashboard for some seconds, and leaned again on the comfortable seat, murmuring a quick 'thank you' and smiling faintly.

Starscream monitored her vitals as she fell asleep. Her heart-beat slowing down and her breath stabilizing to a steady rhythm. Well, one problem solved. There were still surely more to come, but they could deal with them another day. For now, they both had earned themselves a good rest. Powering down his systems, he also fell into recharge. One of the last things his sensors registered were the light caresses of Eleonor's hand as she unconsciously traced the seat's outlines, already in dreams. His engines started to purr softly and he didn't even try to stop them. He didn't care at the moment, and no one else was there to laugh at him.

* * *

><p>Eleonor stretched and then snuggled against the seat, slowly coming out of her dreams. She felt wonderful. She had rested all the time she needed and now was waking up by herself, without any phone-alarm startling her out of sleep. Starscream had let her sleep in his cabin. She was used to be around him, to work with him in the lab, even to seat on his servos. But been inside of him without the excuse of travelling somewhere was different. It felt intimate. And inexplicably comfortable. She could feel his reassuring presence around her, and she found it also oddly soothing.<p>

"Hmmm..." She murmured, opening her eyes. And gasped briefly as she took in her surroundings. It was true, not a dream. She was sleeping inside him. The memories of the last events suddenly flooded her mind. And now she felt kind of stupid. Like a small girl that had sought the reassuring company of her parents to help her sleep after a bad nightmare. Oh, she felt so silly at that moment.

"Good morning." The seeker whispered calmly. But it was of no use, because she nearly jumped out of the seat.

"Starscream, Sir! I am so sorry!" She exclaimed.

"Do you always wake up so jumpy? What happens? Why are you sorry?" He asked, unsettled.

"For sleeping here." She clarified and had the grace of blushing.

"For the love of Primus!" He exclaimed. "The very Unicron could be eating the Universe and you still would be worried about bothering me!"

Eleonor froze, and remembered that it had been Starscream himself who had literally ordered her to sleep right there. She started to giggle. And then to laugh.

"Then I'm sorry for startling you. I tend to wake up without remembering how or where I fell asleep, and I wasn't expecting to be here." She apologized. Starscream just chuckled in amusement.

"Get out and prepare yourself. We have many things to do today." He commanded, back to business.

"Yes, Sir!" She cheered, and climbed out of the cabin, almost tripping on the last steps, to the seeker's amusement.

"Well, I must attend to another matters." He announced as he transformed back to mech form and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a while."

* * *

><p>"I take it that Megatron is going to be happy." Thundercracker mentioned as he absently typed something in a datapad.<p>

"He'll better be. I'm working hard to find those supplies we need." Replied Starscream, overseeing the mining drones that were been unloaded from the cargo spaceship that his brother had brought.

"We all are working hard to reconstruct Cybertron. Not only you, Star." Thundercracker pointed out. The other seeker smirked at the nick-name. He only used it when no one was around. Unlike Skywarp, who disrespectfully called him 'Screamer' whenever he wanted. "Although I must admit, that your new attitude towards our Leader still surprises me."

"Hmpf." He huffed, a little annoyed. "Let's say... that for once I don't have anything to complain about his plans. And our objectives are the same. Pits. I may be mean and cruel, but not stupid, and extinguishing our race was not in my plans. Besides, Cybertron is our only home. We must restore it. Megatron is right in doing this."

"Yeah, since The Fallen was destroyed, and Megatron regained his sanity, all our plans had been successful and everything is slowly going back to normal. I almost feel pity for the Autobots." Thundercracker agreed.

Starscream froze in place and his wings stiffened as he remembered the evil ancient prime.

"The Fallen..." He murmured, lost in his thoughts for a moment. The blue seeker looked back at him questioningly, having noticed the change in attitude of his brother.

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"Yes... I was just recalling that last battle on Earth, when Prime killed The Fallen." He replied easily. "He actually did us a favor."

"I agree." Thundercracker answered. Although he still was not utterly convinced. Starscream was still thinking about something, he could almost feel it thought their trine bond, despite of the firewalls. "And how is little Eleonor?" He asked, changing the subject. "Is she making herself useful? You are not making her work like a slave, are you? If it comes to my audio receptors that you mistreat her in any way..."

"Of course I treat her right!" He almost screeched in offense. "Jeez... how overprotective... she's my pet, not yours..."

"She's a good friend. Not a _pet_. And you can be very mean sometimes and I know that she would rarely complain about anything." Thundercracker pointed out, giving his brother a look. The beige seeker chuckled darkly, rubbing his servos together, and feeling his spark-less decepticon warrior's ego grow.

"She is fine. And yes, she is making herself useful... Actually..." He paused for some dramatic seconds. "Thanks to her researches, I was able to improve the base's scanners to better pick up the mineral deposits. In fact, before that improvement, the scans revealed almost nothing. And now, here we are." He gestured with both servos to the drones. "Unloading mining drones and ready to begin with the gathering of the much needed supplies." He admitted.

"Wow. Why doesn't that surprise me?" The blue seeker smirked. "Two more like her, and soon we will be ruling the whole Universe."

"There are no more like h-" Starscream started to reply absently but cut himself before finishing the sentence, shaking his helm. Thundercracker beamed.

"Aha! I knew it. She's more than a pet after all." He teased.

"Don't start behaving like Skywarp." Retorted the beige seeker, glaring daggers at his brother, but the blue seeker seemed immune to them.

"Whatever." He replied, back to his formal attitude with a dismissive wave of his servo. "Anyway, where is she? I'd like to say hello before I leave again for Cybertron.

"Private quarters number three." He sighed, pointing to the corridor.

* * *

><p>Eleonor had had a much needed breakfast, a good shower and was now finishing dressing up. Her mind was back again thinking about the unsettling discoveries of the previous day, and taking mental notes about the data she needed to gather to prove some hypothesis.<p>

She heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" She called, without looking to the entrance. The distinctive 'swoosh' of the door been opened could be heard. She was finishing to tie up her boots. "I'm almost done, Starscr-" She cut herself mid-sentence as she looked up and saw the blue seeker standing by the door-frame with an innocent look.

"Greetings, Little Miss." He smiled.

"Thundercracker!" She exclaimed in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Starscream needed some equipment. I brought it. I'll be leaving in a while, but I wanted to come by and say hello first." He explained, and crouched to offer her a servo.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." She replied, and approached the blue seeker. "How is everyone on Cybertron?" She asked back, as Thundercracker lifted her.

"Same old. Shockwave been efficient, Soundwave been precise, Skywarp been a pain in the aft, etc. The usual. And you?"

"A little troubled, to be honest." She sighed.

"Is my grouchy brother been too severe with you?"

"Wh-no, no. Nothing like that." She chuckled. "It's about the new things I am discovering studying this planet. It's long to explain. If I manage to put all the pieces of the puzzle together I'll tell you, don't worry."

"Hmm. Fine." He hummed, still a little suspicious. Something was troubling his brother and his human, there was no doubt about that. "But take it easy."

"I will." She promised. Thundercracker nodded and headed for the cargo bay.

* * *

><p>Starscream was overseeing the last drones when Thundercracker and Eleonor arrived to the cargo bay.<p>

"Woah, who are all those guys?" The young woman asked, looking in awe at the drones, that were standing in perfect formation. They looked like sturdy and heavy robots with drillers in their servos. They were similar in size to a medium-sized cybertronian like Bumblebee or Barricade. The blue seeker chuckled softly.

"They are not guys. They are _drones_. Non-sentient machines with basic programming. With no conscience or spark." Thundercracker explained.

"Oh. Would they step on me?"

"They should avoid any obstacle in their way, but I wouldn't mill around them if I were you." Starscream intervened. "They will help us to gather the minerals. Now I only need to divide them in several teams and assign each of them their designated mining coordinates."

"Incredible." Eleonor nodded, still amazed by the technological superiority of cybertronians. "And here I thought that robotic-aided assembly lines back on Earth were cool."

"Oh, please. That's prehistoric." The beige seeker chuckled.

"Of course. Everything is prehistoric compared to cybertronian technology." Sighed Eleonor.

"Well, I'm leaving now, or I'll be out of the schedule." The blue seeker intervened, leaving the human in Starscream's servos.

"Take care, Thundercracker." Eleonor waved.

"You too. And Starscream..." He called, making his brother look back at him questioningly. "...Treat her properly." The beige seeker just groaned and face-palmed.

* * *

><p><em>[Three days later.]<em>

The drones could handle their duties by themselves, so Starscream had now plenty of free time. And he was using it to help to unveil the mystery they were dealing with. Right now, they were trying to determine the approximate age of the planet. To do so, they needed to collect some samples of rocks around the emerged landmasses, and date them using radiometric dating.

"This is odd." Starscream suddenly said, pausing from his work and tapping his chin-plates thoughtfully.

"What is odd?" Eleonor asked.

The seeker pressed some buttons on his terminal, and the screen displayed a map of the whole planet, where all the landmasses and islands could be seen.

"Like Earth, this planet still has tectonic activity." He stated. "As you already know, that could be a problem when it comes to dating the rocks, because the oceans floors are continuously been renewed. Because of that, we have to take the rock samples from the emerged landmasses. And in this planet, they are scarce."

"Yes." Eleonor nodded.

"That is why we have also focused on the bigger landmasses. They tend to be more stable over time and survive longer the tectonic dynamics." Eleonor nodded again. "All our tests set this planet's age approximately between 3.5 and 3.8 billion years old, translating it to your time-scale." He made a pause. "But this big island over here..." He pointed to said island on the map. "... Gives older readings. I have repeated them, but they are right. That point of the planet's crust is older than the rest. I have made different scans of the area, and I've found another thing." He paused again. "The materials in that tectonic plate are also less dense."

"That would explain it's older readings. Been less dense, it would have persisted longer through the process of subduction." She recalled. "How much older are we talking about?"

"... The readings say that it might be between 4.2 and 4.4 billion years old." He replied. Eleonor was thoughtful for some seconds.

"Earth is 4.570 billion years old." She stated.

"Suspiciously close?"

"Indeed." She added, and fell in silence for a while, thinking about the new bit of information.

"So, we have a new piece of the puzzle, but we still don't know where to place it." Concluded the seeker. Eleonor nodded.

"This is bigger than me." She sighed. "But I'm decided to unveil this mystery." She continued thinking for some minutes. "The first evidence of life on Earth date from 3.8 billion years ago. Here, I still don't know. And it's not like we can go fossil-hunting."

"Summarizing, both planets took form around the same epoch. And somehow, they were sowed with the same primordial molecules." He said, also deep in thought.

It seemed that they had arrived to a dead end. They remained in silence for a while, when a small beeping in the main terminal caught their attention. Eleonor looked up at the seeker questioningly.

"An incoming transmission." He stated, as he pressed a key in the controls. The map vanished and it was replaced by the video feed of the call. "Lord Megatron." The seeker saluted. "To what do we owe the honor?" He asked, trying his best not to sound ironic.

"Just checking on how are your researches and gathering of supplies going." The Decepticon Leader replied, with a bored expression.

"I send a report everyday with the status of our stockpile." The seeker said, with a suspicious look. "What is the true motive, Megatron?" He almost demanded.

"What? Do I need excuses to check how is doing my _dear_ Second in Command?" Megatron smirked teasingly. Starscream gave him a stern look, that only made his Leader's grin grow wider. "No need to be so jumpy. I just wanted to thank you for your efforts. And for the... _gift_ you brought me." He chuckled. Megatron seemed to be in a good mood.

"_Gift_?" The seeker's expression changed to dumbfounded. "What gift?"

"The book, you idiot." The Decepticon leader retorted, a little annoyed. "I found it very suitable."

Eleonor flinched slightly from his spot on the floor of the lab, and hided partially behind a desk.

"I didn't bring you any book, you senile fool!" Starscream replied, loosing his patience. Megatron rose an optic ridge, ignoring the insult but focusing on more important matters.

"Then who...?" Megatron murmured with a suspicious look. His Second in Command narrowed his optics to a thin line and suddenly froze, his optics widening again as realization hit him.

"...Eleonor. Come here." He ordered, without raising his tone or looking away from the screen. The young woman complied and approached, coming out of her hideout. "Do you know something about this?" He asked, offering her a servo to climb, and deposited his human over the desk, so that Megatron could see both of them.

"Uh... yes, Sir." She replied hesitantly. Starscream motioned with a servo for her to go on. "...It was me." Megatron gave her an amused look.

"You brought Lord Megatron a present. Without telling me. And somehow you managed to give it to him without anyone else noticing? Someone else must had undoubtedly helped you." He stated. "There are just so many wrong things in that." He shook his helm. Eleonor cringed.

"Soundwave!" The Decepticon Leader exclaimed, as realization hit him. "I'm sure. I found the digital book in one of my datapads. No one else has access to them besides Soundwave and me." Eleonor nodded, and kept her gaze low with embarrassment. "You trick my Third in Command and fool my Second. Only to give me a present." Megatron was more amused than annoyed, and his smirk was permanent on his face-plates. "It seems that you are worthy of been a Decepticon after all."

"I was not expecting this." Starscream shook his helm in disapproval. Eleonor flinched and looked up at both of them, her expression filled with worry and shame.

"I am sorry! I just wanted to make you an anonymous present, so that you didn't feel...offended by receiving something from a human... I am sorry, Lord Megatron. And I am sorry, Starscream, Sir. I must had told you..." She was on the verge of tears by now.

Megatron couldn't hold it any longer, and burst in laughter unexpectedly, Starscream following him as he covered his vocalizer with a servo, trying to muffle his giggles. Eleonor stopped dead and blinked in disbelief.

"This is by far too amusing to be good." Megatron managed to say, once he had regained his composure.

"I agree." The Second in Command smirked, looking down to his human, that looked still a bit worried.

"Aren't you... upset with me?" She asked very softly.

"Of course not. We were just picking on you." He chuckled, and blinked an optic.

"Well, mystery solved. Now, I have other matters to attend to." Megatron said, still smirking. "Among them, I'm rethinking my choice for Second in Command. Humans are not so bad after all."

"Hey!" Starscream screeched. Megatron was laughing darkly again as he cut the connection. Eleonor smiled a little, realizing that Megatron had almost complimented her and that indeed, he had liked the book. The seeker looked back at her and offered a servo, lifting her to optic level. "Sorry for that." He smirked playfully.

"Don't worry. I'll survive." She replied. After all, she couldn't be mad at the seeker, specially when he was giving her that disarming naughty smirk of his. "Someday, I'll get my revenge. And I'm telling Thundercracker. He told you to treat me properly." She threatened.

"_Properly_. Not sweetly." He chuckled. "I'm still an evil Decepticon inside. I assure you, this is my best behaviour." He smiled, and surprisingly he managed to look innocent. How the fearsome seeker managed to look innocent like a puppy was still a mystery, but Eleonor couldn't hold it any longer, and also started to giggle. "Anyway, back to my theories. You _can_ read minds! Even Megatron's!" He accused her.

"Aww, come on. He is always reading reports on his datapad, even when he is in the rec. room. He likes to read. And I thought of bringing him something more interesting." She replied, with a knowing smile.

"Sure... And what book did you bring him? I'm curious."

" 'A Game of Thrones'. It's the first book of a series. I should bring the rest of them. They are very interesting."

"Hmm. I should read them someday then." He replied, tapping his chin-plates thoughtfully.

At that moment, another beeping coming from the main terminal took their attention.

"Who is calling now?" Eleonor asked. The seeker frowned, looking at the screen.

"A distress signal. From one of the drones. They don't usually send any signal unless they are damaged, or find anything unusual, out of their programming." He replied seriously.

"Is it grave?" She asked, starting to feel worried. Starscream had turned very serious.

"A broken driller. It seems that they found something too hard. And there are not many things that can be harder than that drillers." He frowned. "I'm telling that group to stop." He said, quickly typing commands on the terminal.

"Where?"

"Do you remember that piece of land, older than the rest?" He turned to look at her.

"Oh, my..." She murmured, eyes wide in shock.

"Well, it seems that we are no longer in a dead end. More pieces for the puzzle." He concluded.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** In response to **Sharta**, I intend to keep it friendly, as hard as it is for me. That one-shot you read was just a poor excuse for me to write some smut, and it is completely out of the story. *sigh* Sometimes I like to think that Eleonor might have a little crush with Starscream, but she doesn't dare to say anything. It would do no good for any of them. Human life span is so short... I would like to tell you more, but if you don't have a ff-account I can't send you private messages! v_vU

**[A/N]2: **Sorry for the little 'biology class' at the begining of this chapter, but it was necessary to understand why Eleonor was so unsettled. I tried to keep it as simple as possible.

**[A/N]3: **And sorry if you don't know very well how the 'radiometric dating' or the 'tectonic dynamics' work. Explaining them would have been reaaaally long and tedious. If you wish to know more, I'll suggest you to look it up on the wikipedia. I know this chapter had a lot of science stuff, but I can't help it. As odd as it may sound... I'm a biologist in real life ^_^U

**[A/N]4: **BTW, ten points for you if you catch the _'Bicentennial Man'_ reference that Thundercracker made. And hell yes,_ 'A Game of Thrones'_ would be a very good reading for Lord Megatron!


	8. Unsettling

Chapter 8: Unsettling

Starscream was soaring through the blue skies of the planet, which were eerily similar to the Earth's ones. An equally endless blue ocean passed quickly below them, the seeker's engines roaring and driving them at human-tolerable speeds, but still quite fast. Eleonor was silently seating in the pilot's seat, presumably lost in her thoughts and theories. At first, he didn't had the intention of bringing her along, but later he had decided otherwise. After all, the drone had broken his driller while trying to perforate through a too hard material. An accident, not an attack. For all they knew that planet was deserted. And maybe she could be of some use. He had to admit that the human usually gave good advices and looked at things from different points of view. They complemented each other quite efficiently.

To be honest, he was very proud of his pet. She was smart but humble. Kind and compassionate. Maybe it was just a trait of human females, but she cared for everyone around her. She could be small and weak in the outside, but inside of her, she had a strong force of will and a noble sense of justice. Her mere presence soothed his warrior spirit. He liked to keep her around because of that.

But he knew that he could not keep her by his side forever.

"Stupid humans. Stupid organic life. Stupid fragile carbon-based molecules." He thought for himself, his spark aching with a sharp pang of sorrow. With proper maintenance, a cybertronian could live practically forever. But his pet probably wouldn't last more than a vorn. And he loathed the idea. He hated it.

But he also knew that he would have to accept it sooner or later. The only thing he could do until then, was taking advantage of every moment they still had. And he intended to do it.

"Ahoy!" Chirped Eleonor, pulling the seeker out of his dark thoughts.

"_Ahoy_?" Starscream repeated with confusion in his tone. "What strange jargon is that? I must admit that sometimes I'm a bit lost without the human Internet." Eleonor laughed heartily, and it was sufficient to make the seeker a little less gloomy. Undoubtedly, she had sensed his long and unusual silence, and she was trying to cheer him up.

"It's what old sailors used to say when they finally could make out solid ground in the distance, after many months of crossing on the high seas."

"Such an inefficient means of transport..." He said with disdain.

"It's quaint. But I must admit that flying is better. Specially with a seeker." She smiled.

"And not just any seeker!" He intervened. Eleonor chuckled. Starscream's vanity was almost as feared as his good aim with his null-ray and his speed.

"The Air Commander. The most cruel and evil of the entire Decepticon army." She praised. The beige jet made a slow barrel roll through the air, making his passenger squeal in delight. "I can almost hear poor Breakdown telling us 'and the most modest' and then disappearing again behind a corner." She teased.

"Hey, there is a difference. Knock Out is auto-sufficient. He compliments himself all the time. But I need someone else to praise me." He chuckled.

"Fine. Loyal pet, lab assistant and personal praiser." She summarized.

"Exactly." He agreed, a smirk hidden in his tone. He didn't know how she managed to do it, but she had also a special talent to cheer anyone up.

After a few minutes, they landed in the area where the drones had been mining. It had been fun to distract their minds with something funny during the trip, but now, it was time to get back to business. He transformed to mech mode, and Eleonor trotted beside him.

They were near a mountainside. The drones were powered down, resting in organized formation in the excavated quarry. One of them had a broken driller. Starscream approached to inspect it closer. By the looks of it, the problem had been indeed, trying to perforate something too hard. With a wireless command, the seeker ordered the drone to point to the place where the incident happened. The drone complied, pointing with a laser to a spot in the excavated mountainside.

Starscream walked to the pointed spot in the rock wall, with Eleonor following him.

"It looks like some kind of igneous rock... Probably granite or diorite. These kind of rocks are quite hard." She murmured, picking up a small piece of rock and recognizing the characteristic mineral crystals embedded in it.

"It shouldn't be that hard for our drones' drillers." The beige mech replied absently, scrutinizing the wall. "Hmm... it seems that behind the rock lies another kind of material." He murmured, while poking at it with a servo. "Stand aside." He commanded, and the human retreated several meters.

Bringing up both servos, he took hold of a chunk of stone that seemed to be partially detached due to the drones' work. He tried to pull it off, but it still was well stuck. Muttering a curse under his breath, he placed one of his clawed feet on the stone wall, and pulled harder.

Finally, the chunk came off, and Starscream, unable to stop the momentum, tripped and ended up falling to the ground on his back with a loud 'thud'.

"Starscream!" Eleonor exclaimed in alarm, running to the fallen seeker sprawled on the ground.

"I'm fine..." He grumbled, throwing away the offending chunk of stone that had landed over him. He straightened and made an attempt to rise from the ground but froze in place as he looked back at the mountain wall. "What in the Unmaker's name...?" He murmured.

Eleonor followed his gaze and also looked to the wall. And froze too, eyes wide in shock.

Indeed, behind the rock, laid another kind of material. A material that seemed to be some kind of metal. It was golden, and had an unnaturally flat surface. The mid-day twin-suns shone over its polished finish. And if that discovery wasn't unsettling enough, the worst part was that across the smooth surface was carved a thin straight line. The line was presumably part of a larger carving, but the rest was still hidden behind the mountainside.

And for a long minute, they just stared at it, both unable to articulate any word.

"Well... that... doesn't look natural at all..." Starscream finally said, and mentally slapped himself because he had sounded very stupid and obvious. He shook his helm and rose from the ground, dusting himself off. Eleonor, for her part, was still too shocked to speak or move.

The seeker approached again to the wall, and inspected the smooth metal surface.

"Harder than the drillers... uh?" He hummed, and with a twist of his wrist he unsheathed his combat claw-blades. The young woman flinched when the sharp grinding noise filled the air. "Not even a scratch!" Exclaimed the seeker in disbelief after the unsuccessful attempt to claw at the metal surface. He turned and looked down at his human. She was eerily silent. "Are you alright?" He asked, with concern.

"A... a little shocked..." She answered hesitantly. Then, she shook her head, trying to come out of her stupor. "What is that, Starscream?"

"I honestly have no idea. This planet was unexplored by our race until now. It was supposed to be deserted. But this is clearly not natural. I don't know what it is, but it has been here, buried in the mountain for a _very long time_." He replied. Eleonor was in silence for some seconds.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

"Hmm... Dig up the rest." He concluded, after pondering his options for a while.

* * *

><p><em>[Two days later.]<em>

Starscream had put the drones back to work. This time, their instructions were only to dig up until they found the different material to uncover it, and not to perforate it. It had taken a couple of days, but now, a huge shining wall was standing in front of them, its unnaturally polished surface gleaming under the daylight. But the golden wall was not completely plain. Several markings were carved across its surface.

"Drawings, hieroglyphs or written language?" Eleonor asked to Starscream, who was also inspecting the markings closely.

"They look like drawings to me..." He murmured. "The lines seem to converge in the center of the wall." He said, and moved to said spot. "And here, they form another big drawing..."

"...It looks like... a portal or entrance of some kind..." Eleonor finished.

"Yes." Starscream nodded absently, inspecting the borders of the portal drawing. "Maybe this part of the wall can be opened somehow... but I can't see any seam or joint. It looks solid."

"And what is this?" Eleonor pointed a less conspicuous marking in the center of the portal drawing. The seeker directed his attention towards it.

"Well... how unsettling... That is actually a _glyph_." He murmured, with a deep frown.

"A _cybertronian_ glyph?" Eleonor asked.

"Do you know that languages often derive from other previously existing languages?" He asked. Eleonor nodded. It also happened with human languages and cultures. "Well, the modern cybertronian language derived from the ancient language of the Primes. The first cybertronians. The direct descendants of Primus himself." The woman nodded again. Long time ago, Starscream had told her a little about the thirteen original Primes. "Well, I do not speak the language of the Primes, and neither can I read it... but some of the modern glyphs still resemble a little the original one from which they come from."

"With human languages happens the same. I do not speak Latin, but I can recognize many words because Spanish derived from it, and they still look similar." Eleonor said, understanding what the seeker was trying to explain. "So... to what word does that glyph look similar to?"

"_Spark_." Starscream replied with a blank expression. The woman pondered the information for a while until his mind finally snapped. She felt as if her brain had been clogged up until then.

"WAIT!" She screeched, and sounded very inappropriate coming from her. "I thought you said that this planet was deserted, unexplored until now! But if there on this wall is a cybertronian glyph... one that mentions a spark, no less, the very thing that defines your race... that means..."

"That we have been here before?" Starscream finished and Eleonor nodded in shock. "But there is no record!" He exclaimed. "This planet or any construction of this type has never been mentioned before... at least... in the historical records that I have read..." He trailed off and was thoughtful for a while. "Or those records no longer exist. Or this was never logged..." He paused again. "But this dates clearly from the age of the ancient Primes. Written in their ancient language. That's a very long time even for our standards. Records dating from that age might as well had been destroyed or lost during the War... I don't know..."

"But no cybertronian has been here for a _very long time_. That's a fact." Eleonor murmured. "And what is the purpose of all this... thing? What does it mean?"

"I don't know... damn it." Starscream frowned. He didn't like not knowing things. He remained in silence for several minutes, processing again and again all the new information, running different scenarios and probabilities. Eleonor, meanwhile went back to stare at the portal drawing and the 'spark' glyph.

"No matter how you look at it, that drawing represents a portal." She absently said, mainly thinking aloud. "Maybe it was designed to open only for one of your kind. Hence the language of the Primes and the mention of a spark." She concluded after a while.

"Hmm... it seems plausible..." He murmured. "But how does it work anyway?" He added.

Starscream looked intently at the spark glyph. Then at the portal drawing. Spark. Portal. Entrance. Opening. Something snapped inside him. Open spark.

"I am not sure about this. But I have to try." He suddenly said, making Eleonor flinch in surprise. She looked back at him questioningly, and opened her mouth to ask something, but no word came out. She was silenced by the sight. The seeker's chest-plates shifted and rearranged in a fluid motion, and if a few seconds, a bright blueish-white light lit the area. Eleonor gasped and stared in awe at the shining pulsating orb of light that was Starscream's very spark.

She had never seen the spark of a cybertronian before. A brief feeling of shame crossed her mind. Maybe she shouldn't be looking. The spark was the most inner and intimate component of a cybertronian. It should be something personal and private. She tried to look away, but her curiosity didn't let her.

Starscream stepped closer to the entrance drawing, and stopped just in front of the spark glyph.

Suddenly, the glyph started to glow with a pale blue light. Then, the portal drawing, and finally the rest of the markings carved on wall. They were flashing, following the rhythm of the seeker's spark. Eleonor stared with wide eyes at the glowing marks. Whatever Starscream was doing, it was working.

Then, flashing brightly one more time, the glow ceased, and the markings went dark once again.

And the solid wall broke apart. Heavy golden metal plates shifted and whirled around the portal drawing, rearranging in the periphery. The breeze howled as it passed through the plates, the air flooding the interior for the first time in a very long time.

Starscream chest-plates went back to their normal configuration and he stood there, stunned in silence, in front of the door.

For the longest of minutes they just stood there, not daring to move or speak.

"What do you think there is inside, Sir?" Eleonor asked after what seemed like an eternity, her voice a restrained whisper.

"Only one way to find out." He stated.

"Couldn't it be dangerous? Maybe there are traps or something inside..." She said, with worry. Everything was so scary and strange lately.

"I don't think so. If this was the original Primes' work, it should be safe. They were the good guys."

"The Fallen was also a Prime." She recalled, unsettled.

"You've got a point. But I can't imagine The Fallen building this and leaving it here, buried for eons. Lost." He replied, and Eleonor had to agree with that. After all, he should know better his own history. "But you can remain here if you wish." He added, looking down to his human and seen her worried expression.

"N-no, please. Take me with you." She shuddered, stepping closer to him. She didn't know what was awaiting for them beyond the entrance, but she didn't like the idea of been left alone. At least, if something happened, she preferred to be in company of the seeker, and not alone in a deserted planet. The mere thought was enough to send shivers down her spine. "Don't leave me alone."

Starscream felt his protective protocols and programming flare at the sight of her worried face and her shaky voice. She was truly scared. And she still preferred to be at his side, facing the unknown that safely hidden behind. He crouched and offered her a servo. She climbed and held tightly to one claw with shaky hands.

"I am not letting anyone or anything harm you." He almost growled with fierce protectiveness. Eleonor seemed to relax slightly.

"I trust you."

With a sharp nod, Starscream stepped inside.

* * *

><p>The seeker walked slowly down a wide corridor. Everything inside was made of the same golden metal. The walls were adorned with markings that seemed to point or direct them ahead, like the ones outside that converged in the portal.<p>

Surprisingly, as they went deeper, the corridor lit up with small lights that switched on as they walked beside them. They emitted a soft white glow.

"Whoever did this..." Whispered Eleonor, afraid that her voice could disturb a silence that had lasted for eons. "...Made sure that it remained safe for a very long time. They built this to last practically forever. Encased in the most durable material. Placed in the most stable continent."

"I believe the same." He whispered back. "And that lead us to another question. What was so important that they needed to place it here?"

"I have no idea, but I hope we find out soon."

Finally, the corridor ended, and they arrived to a big rectangular room. It was completely empty and it didn't seem to have any exit. The walls, floor and ceiling were still from the same golden metal.

"Look, the markings across the walls point to another portal drawing." Eleonor noticed. Starscream approached to it.

"But this one is empty inside. It doesn't have the spark glyph on it." He added. Even so, he tried the same with it, baring his spark to make it open. But, as they already expected, it didn't work. "How does this one open?" He wondered, and they continued to inspect the markings and drawings across the walls.

"I believe there is something there" Eleonor pointed down. And it was true, inside the portal drawing, but very low in the wall, barely one and a half meters above the floor, there was another carving.

"What idiot would put a glyph down there!" Huffed the seeker, crouching carefully, still with Eleonor in one servo. "I thought all the Primes were big mechs, why put... a drawing... so... low..." He trailed off as he caught sight of the marking on the wall.

Eleonor felt her legs tremble and she let herself drop onto Starscream's servo, just in case she fainted. All the theories and hypothesis in her mind crumpled down when she saw what was carved on the wall.

"Is that what I think it is?" She managed to ask after a while, her voice a restrained whisper.

Starscream could only nod. His vocalizer seemed to have frozen.

The correct shape. The correct number of fingers. The correct size. At the correct height above the floor. Carved on the wall, was the unmistakable drawing of a _human hand_.

"This cannot be possible. It's a coincidence. There is no way this can be happening." She murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. "This place has been here, buried in the stone for eons... Hell, probably for more than 4 billion years! There were not even prokaryotes on Earth at that time!"

"Only one way to find out." Starscream said apprehensively. "Do you want to try out?"

"Of course I want to try out." She replied, almost angry. The seeker lowered her to the floor. "There is no possible way in the Universe that this is going to work." She approached to the symbol on the wall. Plucking up all the courage she could muster, she reached out with the right hand, the one that matched the drawing.

And as soon as she touched the drawing, it lit up with a pale blue glow. She gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand. All the markings in the room lit up and flashed following her heart-beat. It was exactly the same that had happened with the first door. When the glow ceased, the portal drawing broke apart and the plates shifted in a circular motion, revealing an entrance.

Eleonor took a step back, overwhelmed. She was shaking.

"W-what does this mean, Starscream...?" She somehow managed to say, recoiling away from the door, and would have surely stumbled backwards if the seeker had not caught her on time.

"Eleonor." He called her, using a slightly stern tone. "Calm down." He commanded, looking down to the trembling woman in her servo. "Let's analyze this without loosing our tempers."

"I-I apologize, Sir..." She said, realizing how pathetic and weak she should be looking right at that moment. Of curse everything lately was unsettling and overwhelming, but that was no excuse for loosing one's composure. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she tried to calm down. "I am very sorry." She apologized again. Starscream nodded.

"Whoever built this, they made themselves sure that only a cybertronian could pass the first entrance. And this second one can only be opened with the help of a human." He stated.

"But by the time this whole place was constructed, there were no humans. That's why it doesn't make sense at all for me." She concluded.

"I'm sure we will find out somehow. Shall we continue?"

"Well, we can't stop now that the answers are closer."

"That's what I thought." He smirked, and continued down another corridor.

* * *

><p>This second corridor did not have markings along its walls, they were plain smooth and golden.<p>

Finally, they arrived to another room. As they stepped inside, the lighting turned on, and they discovered that this room was much bigger than the first one. It was huge. And across its walls there were not markings, but drawings and actually cybertronian glyphs. The ancient language of the Primes adorned the interior.

"No more portals." She murmured, looking around.

"I think these are our answers. Written on the walls." He made a gesture towards the carved glyphs. "But I can't read them." He growled. "But there are also some drawings. Let's see them."

On the nearest wall there was a drawing that reminded them of a strange cybertronian with a circle imprinted on his chest. Next to him, was a bigger circle. Inside it, was what seemed to be a stick-figure representing a human. Nor Starscream, nor Eleonor were surprised at this point to see it.

Following the drawings, more cybertronian representations. They were all different, and seemed to be fighting against another one, and all were drawn above the same circle with the human figure.

"I know this one." Starscream said suddenly, pointing to one of the cybertronian representations. "It's The Fallen. Fighting with the rest of the Primes."

"The one that turned to be evil and such..."

"Yes, the one that made Megatron go mad." He replied. "But this was carved _before_ that happened. Much before. It still makes no sense." He shook his helm in disbelief.

"Do you think... Is it possible to... _predict the future_?" Eleonor asked after a long silence.

"Maybe yesterday I would have replied 'no'. But now, I am not so sure." He said absently, as he walked to see the rest of the carvings.

"What is this cybertronian doing with this human?" Asked Eleonor, pointing to another drawing. It represented a mech crouched over a human figure. "Is he going to kill him?"

"Or protect him from that other big figure above them?" Starscream pointed to the carving of a vague figure that seemed to be a monster of some kind. "It looks ambiguous."

"There are many drawings, but there are even more written glyphs. I believe that we could find out many more things if we could read them. Do you know anyone who can read the ancient language of the Primes?"

"Still alive? …Not many... Maybe Megatron, or Optimus. But I'm not even sure of that. They are old, but not _ancient_..." He huffed in frustration.

"And isn't there any place where we could learn to read the language of the Primes? Or search for a translator program, or something like that?" She suggested.

"I don't know. Damn it. We lost so many things with the War." He grumbled, pacing around the room with long strides. They were in silence for some minutes, pondering all the new information. "This is lo longer an exploration mission or a supply task. This is more important." He stated with a grim tone.

"What do we do, Sir?" She asked, very seriously.

"I think it's time to inform Lord Megatron."

* * *

><p>Eleonor was on the pilot's seat, held tightly to the seat-belt as Starscream soared through the skies, headed to the base. She seemed to be in quiet contemplation, looking at the passing clouds, but her gaze was unfocused. He instantly knew that she was troubled. And Starscream didn't blame her. After all the things that they had seen in that golden caverns, more than one mech would have fried a logic circuit.<p>

"Are you alright?" The seeker asked, after a while in silence.

"Yes, don't worry about me." She replied, massaging her temples, trying to relax.

"You lie awfully, you know that, don't you?" He chuckled. Eleonor replied with a tired laugh.

"You can also see through me, uh?" She gave a weak smile, and gave up trying to hide it. "It's just... everything keeps getting weirder and weirder. We find no answers, only questions." She paused. "I thought that the fact of having the same primordial molecules here on this planet and on Earth was unsettling. But those things we have seen there, inside that golden cavern... it's ten times worse."

"Do you think that those two things are related?"

"I don't know. Nothing would surprise me at this point. The good thing is that I'm getting used to the disturbing discoveries." She said with irony. "I'm still a little shocked, but I'll be fine. Please don't worry." She assured, waving a hand with a dismissive gesture. "And how are you, aren't you unsettled by all this? You seem to be immune."

Starscream sighed inwardly before answering.

"To be honest, I'm a little shocked too... well, actually, quite shocked." He admitted. "But I guess that thousands of years of war have hardened me and I'm better at handling disturbing news now." He said reassuringly. Eleonor smiled softly and patted the straps of the seat-belt.

"Anyway, if you need someone to listen to you, I'll be right here." She offered. Starscream had managed to calm her down when she had been so worried several days ago. And now she was willing to do the same for him if he needed help.

"I'll keep that in mind." He replied, smiling inwardly. His human continued to care for everyone, even when she herself was also worried.

They spent the rest of the trip in peaceful silence, thinking about everything that had happened lately.

Back at the base, Starscream and Eleonor went directly to the communications room. On-lining the main terminal, the seeker contacted with the headquarters in Kaon's palace.

"Soundwave." Starscream saluted to the Communications Officer, who, of course, was in charge of picking up any incoming call addressed to the Decepticon Leader.

"Commander Starscream: report." The Third in Command saluted and went straight into business, as usual.

"No time for reports today. I need to speak with Megatron." Demanded Starscream, ignoring the protocol. "It's important." Soundwave's visor flashed briefly in annoyance at the Second in Command for ignoring the normal procedure, but he nodded in acknowledgement anyway. Soon, the image feed was replaced by Megatron's stern gaze.

"Starscream. This is unusual. Is there any issue?" The Decepticon Leader asked.

"It depends... on what you would call an issue." Starscream replied, a little enigmatically.

"Is anyone trying to kill you getting in the way of your duties?" Megatron let out a low growl of annoyance.

"No."

"Then it's not an issue." The Decepticon Leader said dismissively. "What do you want?" Starscream was in silence for some seconds before answering.

"Can you read the ancient language of the Primes?" The seeker asked suddenly. Megatron's expression went blank for the briefest of seconds, clearly not expecting that question from his Second in Command.

"Yes, I can. As a side effect of been under The Fallen's influence for so long." He growled, annoyed with having to remember the traitorous Prime who had poisoned his mind during thousands of years. "Have you called only to ask me that? What is all this about? Are you out of your processors?"

"Hmm... that's a good thing to hear." Starscream replied, ignoring the insult.

"Starscream, stop talking in circles. What is all this about? Explain yourself." He had never been known for his patience, and Starscream was pushing his luck with his mysticism.

"Is there anyone else with you now?" The seeker asked hesitantly.

"Only Soundwave." Megatron replied, getting more intrigued. The Second in Command was in silence during several seconds before answering.

"...We have found... _something_... that you should see." Starscream said after a while.

"And why should I bother in leaving the comfort of Cybertron and travel to an insignificant planet that is only good for mining its resources? Please, enlighten me."

"Because that _something_ that we have found here is 4 billion years old, made from an indestructible material, has glyphs in the language of the Primes all over it and... oh yes, how could I forgot?... it also may have future events written on it.

Megatron froze, and double-checked his audio receptors. Then he replayed again in his processors the seeker's last transmission.

"If this is a joke, Starscream, it is not funny at all."

"Do I look like I am joking?" Starscream taunted. The Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command stared at each other for a long moment in silence. "Lord Megatron, you should... you _must_ see this." He insisted. His Leader narrowed his optics to thin crimson lines.

"I'll be there in two joors. Megatron out." He agreed, and cut the transmission. Then, he let out a long sigh through his vents and frowned slightly. "I swear to Primus, if this is some kind of joke I'm going to rip off his spark with my bare servos."

Soundwave stared at his Leader with a blank look, more unreadable than usual, if that was possible. Megatron didn't even had to ask to know what was in his Third in Command's processors.

"And if what he says is true... Well, I guess it would depend on what is written there."

* * *

><p>Back at the new planet's base, Starscream was absently monitoring the work of the rest of the drones. The other groups hadn't encountered any issue, and had gathered a good stockpile by the time. They would need to transport it to Cybertron soon. Probably after Megatron's visit.<p>

The seeker frowned while staring blankly at the monitors. What secrets hid the golden cavern? He had been trying not to think about it, but the questions were still there, haunting his processors.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in her quarters, Eleonor had finished her dinner and had changed her clothes to something more comfortable to sleep. That was, if she could sleep, which was going to be quite a feat because all the recent events had been quite unsettling.<p>

She undid her hair bun, and let her long curled hair cascade over her shoulders. Approaching to the kitchen units, she proceeded to wash the few dishes and cutlery that she had used in the dinner. She tried to focus on her chore, to forget, at least momentarily, the rest of her worries.

A knock at the door distracted her from her housework.

"Yes, come in." Starscream entered the room and looked down at her with a tired expression. "Don't tell me, too tired to do anything, but too troubled to recharge?" The seeker let out an aggravated sigh before dropping into jet form.

"Slagging femmes and their mind-reading powers. I swear, Soundwave would be envious." The jet grumbled, and she smiled briefly.

Eleonor finished with the cleaning and approached the seeker. It seemed that he needed someone to listen to him, after all.

"It has been a Hell of a day, uh?" She said quietly, running a hand over the jet's flank.

"Yes, it has." He replied, sighing inwardly. "And I know I said before that I'm a fierce cybertronian warrior hardened in battle, as well as a cunning scientist... but these things we've seen today... they are hard to process, even for me. I don't know where all this is leading us to. And I don't like that feeling. Not at all."

"You don't like not been in charge, not been able to control the situation." She nodded in understanding. She knew that Starscream was a very strong-willed mech. He was Second in Command of the Decepticon army, as well as Air Commander. He was in charge of many things, and although sometimes it proved to be a tedious task, he inwardly enjoyed the responsibility. To control other mechs, plans and strategies. And now, he couldn't.

"Exactly."

"I'm pretty sure that we will find our answers very soon. Even Lord Megatron is going to help. He knows how to translate those glyphs. Don't worry. And I'll be helping too, contributing with other points of view, as I usually do." She encouraged, caressing the warm fuselage.

Starscream let the air cycle slowly through his vents, trying to put in order his thoughts, focusing on the pleasant signals that the pressure receptors on his fuselage were sending him.

"There is another thing that has been troubling me." He admitted after a while. Eleonor listened intently. "That few drawings we recognized, they were undoubtedly carved long before the events that they described happened. And I've been wondering... Were those drawings _carved_ because they were going to happen... Or did those events _happen_ because they were carved? What I'm trying to say is... is the future guessed or, on the contrary... _written_?"

Eleonor was in silence for some minutes, thinking about the seeker's words. And she found that his worries made sense. Were those words written in the golden cavern, a prophecy of some kind?

"Are we walking through predicted paths, unable to change our destiny? Or do we still have choices?" Eleonor summarized, understanding what the seeker was trying to say.

"I don't want to be anyone's puppet. I don't want my destiny written. I loathe the idea." He growled, revealing his true concern.

"You know what?" She said after thinking for a while. "I don't know if my destiny has been written or not. But I know one thing for sure: in the junctions that I have encountered in my life, I have made the choices by myself. And I take full responsibility for them."

Starscream produce a step-ladder on one of his sides, in a silent invitation for her to climb up. Patting the jet affectionately on one flank, she climbed and made herself comfortable in the cabin.

"I think you had some little help in more than one of your decisions." He chuckled slightly.

"Well... that one about working for the Decepticons or been used for target practice three years ago, was an easy choice to make." She smiled. "But still, I could have refused. And I didn't. You offered me to fly away, but I didn't. I could have declined your offer of coming here, but I didn't. And I regret none of my choices. Not a single one." She said with confidence. "And you too have made choices, Starscream. You chose not to kill me when you had the opportunity. You chose to forget about fighting a senseless war. You chose to save cybertron by constructing a new Allspark." She said, encouraging the seeker.

"And I regret none of them." He added. "Because all of them had led me where I am now." He felt more confident again. She was right. He was pretty sure that _he_ had made his own choices, regardless of what could be written anywhere.

"I feel the same." She nodded, feeling by the seeker's tone that his worries had diminished. She absently caressed the outlines of the pilot's seat.

"And where are we right now?" He asked, a little more cheerful.

"I don't know where you are... But I am in the most comfortable jet in this Universe." She laughed, snuggling in the pilot's seat. "Where are you?" The seeker's laugh rumbled through the cabin, the whole jet shaking slightly.

"Right now? Been tickled to death by a squirming human on my seats."

"Oh, sorry!" She exclaimed apologetically.

"It's your hair, it tickles." He clarified, still chuckling.

"I'll leave then. I'll better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another long day."

"No." He said suddenly. "Stay here." He commanded very softly, folding down the seat.

Eleonor smiled briefly. Of course Starscream was not going to ask anything in a good manner, or using the word 'please'. But his command had been so unusually soft that the plead was almost implied.

"Of course." She replied, smiling gently, and made herself comfortable again in the seat, this time pulling her hair aside over her shoulder.

Dimming the lights in the room and letting themselves fall in a peaceful silence, it was not long before Eleonor started to doze off.

"You still... have not answered... where are you." She mumbled, almost between dreams.

The seeker smiled inwardly. He missed to have his brothers close, to share his worries and concerns with them, but his human was also good at listening to problems and cheering him up.

"I don't care where I am. I'm in good company." He whispered, but Eleonor was already fast asleep. Shutting down his systems, he drifted into recharge.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** The plot thickens! And there is more to come! Don't worry, all will be explained and will make sense. BTW, this chapter felt a little like an Indiana Jones' movie or a Tomb Raider's video-game! It was exciting to write!

**[A/N]2:** Many reviewers keeps telling me to make this a romance, and I must admit that sometimes I am very tempted. But on the other hand, many other reviewers like the story because I keep this a friendship. So, it will remain a friendship. However, although it may not be a lover's love, it's obvious that they care for each other a big deal, it could be similar to the love you can feel for a brother or mother or any other close relative. I think that's beautiful enough. And I can't deny that I take a certain delight in keeping their interactions a little... ambiguous. For the platonic romance's sake. I mean, come on, who would not fall for a bad-ass giant alien robot that transforms into a fragging jet?

I am also aware that the whole StarscreamxOC issue has been over-exploited. That's why I take great effort in keeping Eleonor away from the path of been a 'Mary-sue'. Feel free to yell at me if I fail at this.

**[A/N]3:** Let me know what you think, and thanks for the reviews! And dear **Sartha**, you have your PM's disabled! I can't PM you! T_T Let me know when you fix that.


	9. Revelations

**[A/N]:** OK, this chapter is a little shorter but it is dense and important. And it was very difficult to write. Read it slowly, please. I apologize beforehand for the mistakes or grammar errors that I may have made. Sorry. And thank you for reading.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9: Revelations<span>

Starscream was overlooking the horizon, letting the morning breeze flow through his vents and trace his frame's sharp outlines. Eleonor was sitting on the ground, next to him, also enjoying the fresh breeze. After a few good hours of sleep and recharge, they felt positively ready once again to face whatever disturbing revelations had the glyphs in store for them. The seeker had sent the coordinates of the golden cavern to Megatron, and they were now awaiting for his arrival near the excavated mountainside.

Eleonor glanced upwards, admiring the imposing silhouette of the seeker. Cybertronians were plain amazing. She couldn't help but feel insignificant compared to them. That was one of the reasons she worked so hard. She wanted to prove herself worthy of the trust deposited on her and the indulgences she usually received.

Sensing her gaze, Starscream glanced down at her, a smug grin adorning his face-plates.

"Enjoying the view?" He asked, teasingly. Eleonor scoffed and looked away, trying not to blush in embarrassment. This only served to feed the seeker's ego even more, his grin growing wider.

"Ahem." She tried to regain her dignity. "Any news from Lord Megatron?"

"They will arrive soon. They are entering into the atmosphere right now." Starscream replied. His cunning sensors had picked up the incoming ship, but it was still far from naked-eye range.

Ten minutes later, the ship was landing on a clearing. It descended smoothly and vertically until it touched the ground, shutting down its thrusters and coming to a complete halt. Then, the boarding ramp lowered, crunching the gravel below it.

The mighty figure of the Decepticon Leader appeared coming down the ramp, followed by his Third in Command.

"Lord Megatron." Starscream saluted and Eleonor made a polite curtsy.

"Starscream." Megatron saluted back, and Soundwave nodded in silent acknowledgment. "Show me what you have found. I do not want to waste my time."

"Over here." Starscream bit back the urge of snapping at his Leader with a disrespectful remark. He was certain that his discovery was going to be sufficient to silence his boss. With confident strides, he guided them to the golden wall dug up on the mountainside.

Glancing up at Soundwave, Eleonor noticed something on his shoulder-plate that she had not seen before, but it was too high to see it properly. Suddenly, two red eyes turned to look at her from the 'thing' that was on the blue mech's shoulder. The creature let out a sharp mechanized caw and narrowed its optics, glaring at her from its high perch. Eleonor flinched and looked away, fearing that her gaze may had somehow offended the strange creature. She felt curious about the unknown being, but she decided not to ask. This was not the rec. room. This was an important mission, and Lord Megatron was present. She would not speak unless told so.

Soon, they were at the golden wall. The entrance had closed again in their absence.

"This was buried within the mountain. The rocks encasing the structure are between 4.2 and 4.4 billion years old." Starscream explained. Megatron and Soundwave were looking at the markings carved across the smooth surface. "We found that this drawing over here looked like some kind of portal or entrance, and that it had something written right in the center."

"Spark." Megatron stated, easily recognizing the ancient language of the Primes.

"I could figure that out too." Starscream nodded. "The door is designed to open only when in proximity of an exposed spark." He explained. "Do you want to make the honors?"

"Excuse me, I have had some bad experiences concerning baring my spark in the past." Replied Megatron, narrowing his optics to a thin line and glaring daggers at his Second in Command. The memory of that human punk throwing the Allspark in his chest was still fresh and painful.

Suppressing a smirk, the seeker went to the drawing and bared his spark. Immediately, the plates in the wall rearranged themselves just like they had done the previous day. In a few seconds, the entrance was opened. If Megatron was surprised, he didn't show it.

"Lead the way." Megatron commanded. Starscream stepped inside the long corridor, followed by his Leader. Behind them was Soundwave, and Eleonor was the last one, struggling to keep at pace with the long strides of the giant mechs. The still unknown creature turned its long neck to continue glaring at her, still perched on the blue mech's shoulder-plate.

In a few minutes, they arrived to the second room, the one that had the human hand imprinted close to the floor.

"This second door is even more... _intriguing_..." Starscream said. Megatron and Soundwave inspected it closely. The Third in Command, always the one with the sharpest processor, was the first to notice the hand drawing. Pointing at it with a servo, his master saw it too. This time, Megatron could not help rising an optic-ridge.

"Is that a human hand?" He stated, almost in disbelief. The seeker nodded grimly. "I thought that you said that these... _ruins_... were more than four billion years old." The beige mech nodded again. "I am not an expert in humans, but I'm pretty sure that there were not human beings four billion years ago. Much less _here_."

"Go figure. That little piece of information had been giving me processor aches since yesterday." Starscream stated with a carefree attitude. "Eleonor, do the honors." He commanded, without turning to look at her.

With a quick 'yes, Sir', the young woman approached to the door, and placing her hand on the correct place, the huge door opened in a similar fashion to the previous one. Megatron was in dumbstruck silence for several seconds. Soundwave was even more silent than usual.

"This makes no sense." The Decepticon Leader stated the obvious, frowning slightly and shaking his helm.

"Welcome to my life." Starscream shrugged. "And the best part is yet to come. Let's continue."

Resuming their exploration, the group went down the second corridor until they arrived to the last room. The one that was the biggest. Immediately, Megatron caught sight of the glyphs in the ancient language of the Primes carved across the broad golden walls. Without saying any word, he approached to the nearest wall.

The rest of the present mechs and human remained in silence. The Decepticon Leader seemed to be in deep concentration, with a slight frown. He inspected the glyphs and the drawings that Starscream and Eleonor had seen the previous day.

After fifteen minutes that seemed ages, Megatron turned to face the rest of his subordinates. Although he had been making a good effort in keeping his emotions at bay, his face-plates were adorned with some emotions that he had failed to hide. A mix of concern, disbelief and astonishment that were very unusual in the ruthless Leader.

"You don't know what you have found, do you?" He murmured with a grim expression, looking at his Second in Command. For a brief moment, Starscream thought that his Leader was mocking him, but the look in his face-plates said otherwise.

"Honestly, no." Starscream admitted. "But judging from the few things I could understand, I knew it was important, and I saw fit to report it to you."

"It is very important. You have done well." Megatron nodded. "You and your human." He added, briefly glancing down at a very quiet Eleonor.

Megatron complimenting Starscream for his work was an exceptional sight. But recognizing the aid of a human was plain new.

"What is all this, Lord Megatron?" Starscream asked, cautiously. This should be very important if it was capable of making his ruthless Leader act in such an unusual manner.

The High Lord was in silence for some seconds, pondering his first words. When he spoke, his deep voice lacked its usual glint of evilness.

"Are any of you familiar with the _Covenant of Primus_?" He asked.

Starscream and Soundwave nodded slowly. Eleonor had never heard about it, and was about to ask, but decided to shut her mouth. It was inappropriate to interrupt the Leader of the Decepticons with petty questions. She could ask Starscream later. The gesture, however, didn't go unnoticed by the Decepticon Leader, and he decided to indulge her with a quick explanation. She had earned it.

"The Covenant of Primus could be compared to a sort of holy writing, like the ones used by human religions. But its contents are far different." Megatron summarized, looking at the human. She nodded, grateful.

"I thought that the Covenant of Primus was some kind of book or data-bank." Starscream intervened.

"The Covenant of Primus are the words, the information. _Where_ they are written is not important." Megatron replied. Starscream nodded. "Do you know what kind of things are described in the Covenant?" He asked. This time, both the seeker and the Communications Officer shook their helms.

Megatron tapped his chin-plates and was thoughtful for a while.

"In order to understand _what_ is written in the Covenant, first you must know _who_ wrote it." Megatron begun. "It was written by Alpha Trion, one of the Original Thirteen Primes." He paused. "The Thirteen were direct descendants of Primus himself. They were very powerful, and each one of them had a special ability. Alpha Trion's special talent was... that he could see the _past_, the _present_ and the _future_."

Starscream stiffened. The pieces were slowly falling in place.

"Alpha Trion wrote the Covenant of Primus." Megatron resumed his explanation. "On it, he narrated the history of our race. Our past, our present, and even our future. But the text had one important peculiarity, so that no one could abuse the power of such knowledge. A catch." He made a small pause. "Each section of the Covenant is written in the language of the era it represents. Thus, the most ancient sections of the book are scribed in languages long dead from the planet, and the far future is written in languages no Cybertronian yet speaks."

Eleonor stared at the Decepticon Leader with wide eyes. She had many questions still floating in her mind, but little by little, Megatron was revealing the answers.

"I must assume that you didn't inspect the glyphs for too long before you decided to go back to the base and contact me, did you, Starscream?" Megatron asked to the seeker.

"Once I saw the first walls written in the language of the Primes, which I cannot read, I focused more on the drawings. And no, not for a long time. I saw it fit to inform you as soon as possible." Starscream excused himself. Was Megatron going to reprimand him now for been quick?

However, the look on Megatron's face-plates was not one of disappointment. He was only pointing out facts.

"If you had stayed longer, you would have discovered one section written in our current language." Megatron explained and pointed to the far end of the middle wall. "That passage describes how we split in two factions. The lost of the Allspark. How our race scattered through the galaxies. The battle on Earth. How we almost extinguished ourselves."

"What I still can't understand is... why humans? Why was this place designed to open up only when cybertronians and humans met each other?" Starscream asked.

"A fair question. I'm still trying to figure that out." Megatron shook his helm slightly troubled. "I need to finish reading all I can understand. Maybe there are still some answers there." He added.

"Vector Prime." Soundwave suddenly stated in his monotone voice, pointing to one of the drawings in the first wall. The one that represented a cybertronian with a circle on his chest-plates.

Megatron frowned, looking at the drawing, and approached to said spot on the wall. The glyphs there were written in the ancient language of the Primes.

"Vector Prime: guardian of time and space." Soundwave pointed out. It seemed that the Communications Officer also knew a little about the Thirteen.

"Vector Prime constructed this place." Megatron murmured, reading the glyphs. "His special ability was that he could warp through _space _and _time_." He continued reading. "Vector Prime usually helped Alchemist Prime. Alchemist Prime was the co-founder of cybertronian civilization, and he was also a scientist, very interested in alien life forms. He usually sowed remote and deserted planets with life, because he loved to study how they evolved in infinite possibilities, each one of them different and precious in its own way."

A gasp escaped Eleonor and she quickly covered her mouth with both hands. There was the answer she had been looking for. Why both this planet and Earth shared the same amino-acids.

"What else does it say about that planets?" Starscream asked, almost hissing.

"As Vector Prime could travel through space and time, he usually reported back to Alchemist Prime the results of his experiments in long term. In one of his travels, Vector Prime discovered that one of Alchemist Prime's experiments would originate the human kind. Investigating the future of this new sentient race, he discovered that they were going to play a very important role in our destiny." He paused for some seconds, re-reading the written glyphs in disbelief. "That is why he constructed this place. He wanted to make himself sure that we protected the human race. But why they are important, it is not written here." Megatron finished reading the small biography of Vector Prime.

They pondered the information for some minutes, until Soundwave broke the silence.

"Interaction with human kind: crucial for Cybertron's destiny." The blue mech stated, he had found the answer.

"That's it, Soundwave!" Starscream exclaimed as realization hit him too. More pieces of the puzzle had fallen in place. "It actually makes sense! Much more sense than I thought possible!" He murmured, pacing up and down the room anxiously. Megatron looked back at the seeker, expectantly. Soundwave also stood frozen in place, his processors also working at fast rates. "Think about it. It was on Earth where the original Allspark ended up. It was there where the War ended. And, as much as we would hate to admit it, getting involved with humans led us to the reconstruction of the Allspark. And thanks to that we managed to save Cybertron and our race!" Starscream explained.

"I must agree with that..." Megatron murmured, still processing the new data. "It is true that the interaction with the human race has led us to where we stand today." He was in silence for several seconds until he recalled another piece of information. "Of course it makes sense! Not only that! Many more things makes sense now!" Megatron exclaimed suddenly.

"What else makes sense?" Starscream asked, tilting his helm to a side.

"Do you know why The Fallen was condemned by the rest of the original Primes?" Megatron asked, but it was a rhetorical question. "The Primes used the energy extracted from stars to replenish the Allspark. But they had one single rule: to never use a star that supported a planet with life. The Fallen broke that rule. And he was warned. But later he tried to do the same with the Earth's Sun. And that time the other Primes stopped him." He explained. "Why make such a fuss about a stupid planet, regardless of its life forms? Because they knew that _that_ planet was going to play an important role in our future."

Eleonor, meanwhile, was listening intently at the conversation and explanations going around her, taking mental notes and trying to draw conclusions. Megatron had revealed many things in a single morning, and she was having a hard time analyzing everything.

"What is troubling you, little assistant?" Starscream asked, pulling her our of her thoughts.

"I was wondering... I know that The Fallen was destroyed. But what happened to the rest of the Original Thirteen Primes?" She asked. Perhaps she could be of more use if she knew something more about the cybertronian history.

"Some of them were assassinated by The Fallen when they fought with him. Others sacrificed themselves to keep him from obtaining the Matrix of Leadership. And others just disappeared." Replied Megatron.

"Disappeared?"

"Yes. Like Vector Prime. He left Cybertron, and now wanders eternally through space and time. But he never forgets that his mission is to protect our race. I think that's the reason he built this, with the help of Alpha Trion. To warn us about the things that we need take care of to ensure the future of our race." Megatron deduced. Eleonor nodded, thankful for the explanation.

The Decepticon Leader paused for a moment to let his processors review all the new information. The original Primes. The Fallen. The Earth. The human kind. Cybertron. Fate had a curious sense of humor. Everything seemed to be related somehow. He glanced at the tiny human below them. Small. Fragile. But useful, nonetheless. He did not cherish human kind like Optimus did, but this one had proven herself worthy.

Why did the ancient Primes want to preserve this little organic creatures? Was it for the cybertronian race's sake? Or were there other motives?

"Soundwave." Megatron said, gaining the attention of his Third in Command, who looked back at him, expectantly. "Scan all the walls so that we can analyze everything later without having to come back here." The blue mech nodded.

"Laserbeak." Soundwave said in his emotionless voice. And without any further command, the strange creature perched on the Communications Officer's shoulder-plate extended its wings and took off.

Eleonor stared in awe at the cybertronian bird-like creature that had resulted to be Laserbeak, one of Soundwave's symbionts. He looked like a bird of prey or rather, an _Archaeopteryx_, but he was the size of a condor. He had a long neck and tail. His wings had a rotor blade at the base of each one, and the rest of their length had metal-feathers. His body was covered with smaller feather-like metallic pieces, providing him with a light armor. He soared through the open space of the wide room, pausing in front of each wall, scanning them and sending back to Soundwave the information gathered.

Eleonor hummed, lost in her thoughts while she absently followed Laserbeak with her gaze.

"Something is... out of place..." She murmured, mostly for herself, but loud enough for the cunning cybertronian hearing to pick it up.

"What troubles you now? Don't you have enough answers for today?" Starscream smirked, still inspecting the walls.

The High Lord inspected the human with his gaze. He had to admit that the little pet of his Air commander had the odd habit of giving good advices. Listening to a suggestion wouldn't hurt. Even if it came from an inferior species.

"Speak, human." Megatron commanded, and his stern tone and deep voice made Eleonor's hairs stood on end, reminding her with who she was present. He had permitted her to stay and live in relative safety among his soldiers, even indulged her a couple of times, but he was still the Leader, and everyone had to obey him. She should not forget that.

"Lord Megatron, I believe that the ancient Primes wanted to warn us about something else than not destroying human kind." She replied, trying to sound at ease, although the piercing gaze of the Decepticon Leader still intimidated her.

Starscream studied from the periphery of his optics the exchange between his Leader and his pet, just in case someone needed a rescue.

"And what basis do you have for saying that?" The High Lord asked back.

"If you already had to be friends with human kind to open that door, it makes no sense to tell you to protect them again. What I'm trying to say is..."

"That there must be something else for which we are going to need the help of human kind in the future." Megatron finished, getting the hint. And he was honestly impressed by the human deductive abilities, although he was not about to let it show.

"Yes." Eleonor nodded.

"Do you think it could be related to this drawing, Lord Megatron?" Starscream intervened, pointing to the carving that represented a cybertronian crouched over a human, protecting him from some kind of huge monster.

The Decepticon Leader approached to inspect it closer.

Next to that drawing, there was another one. On it, two cybertronians were battling against the previous monster. One of them wielded a sword, and the other one had a huge cannon.

Megatron hummed and frowned. Then, he moved to the section that was written in current cybertronian.

"The passage written in our current language ends mentioning a battle against darkness. Or evil, the text is quite metaphoric. And that it could only be defeated by the sword forged in the stars and the cannon of the dead... Or something like that." Megatron read.

"What the frag do you mean 'something like that'? This is important!" Starscream yelled in exasperation, stomping his way next to his Leader to read the text himself.

"Go figure. The text is full of metaphors and symbolic phrasing. Another one of the catches of the Covenant that make difficult it's interpretation." Megatron growled at his impatient Second in Command.

"S-so... is there something bad coming...?" Eleonor meekly asked from the floor, approaching to Soundwave hesitantly. The mention of a possible enemy, one that seemed to be very dangerous, had worried her.

"Maybe." Starscream replied a little more calm, not desiring to scare his pet. "But it doesn't mention _who_ or _when_ it will come. It could be next week... or in a thousand years." He said, trying to sound reassuring. Eleonor's expression changed from concern to subdued sorrow. Great. Now he had reminded her of how brief human lifespans were. He cursed himself.

"It is a _warning_, nonetheless. Against a future enemy." Intervened Megatron, who was not paying too much attention to his Second in Command and his pet. "And we must be prepared for anything. And it seems that this weapons mentioned here are the only means to defeat that enemy. We must be prepared when the time comes."

Starscream and Soundwave nodded. Pushing her worries and sadness to the back of her mind, Eleonor also nodded with determination. If there was any way she could help, she would do it.

"What should we do now, Lord Megatron?" Starscream asked, not bothering to mask his concern. The future of their race could be at risk soon.

The Decepticon Leader was thoughtful for some minutes, tapping his chin-plates.

"We need to find out what are exactly that weapons mentioned in the text. And compare the rest of our past events written in the covenant with our own historical records. Maybe we could find some concordances. We need all the information we could gather." Megatron said.

"The Hall of Records was in Iacon. But I don't know what has survived from it... I'm afraid that the city is not what it used to be..." Starscream said, cycling air slowly through his vents. They had lost so many things in the War. The Hall of Records had been once the greatest library facility of all Cybertron, containing information about the cybertronian race since the age of the Thirteen Primes. But now, only ruins and broken memories were left of Iacon, once the biggest city in Cybertron and capital of the Autobots.

"Always so gloomy, Starscream." Megatron huffed. "We are still going there. Maybe there is still something that we could salvage." His Second and Third in Command nodded in acknowledgement. Megatron fell in silence for a while, thinking about their next steps. He had to think about who were going to come with him to that mission. He didn't want to make public too much sensitive information at the moment. The recent discoveries were quite disturbing, and he didn't want to cause unnecessary worries among his soldiers right now. They needed to keep it low for the moment.

Meanwhile, Laserbeak had finished scanning the carvings, and had returned to his master and reported back all the gathered information. Looking down, he caught sight of the human woman standing next to his master's foot. To close for his liking.

Eleonor almost had a heart-attack when the bird-like cybertronian landed next to her on Soundwave's foot, puffed up all his metallic feathers and let out an intimidating caw that sounded like a mix between a crow, a parrot and a metal grinder.

"I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry!" Eleonor said quickly to the sulking bird.

"Laserbeak: behave." Soundwave ordered quietly. His symbiont had already been informed that the human pet was not dangerous and was not to be harmed, but that didn't mean that the small bird mimic had to be nice to her. Laserbeak had always been very protective of his master, and he got jealous whenever other mech approached his master. Even his own brothers.

Jumping over her in a single flap of his wings, he perched himself over Eleonor's shoulders and began to peck at her head, proceeding to pull her hair out of her usually tidy bun.

"Ouch!" Eleonor tried to shield herself with her arms, but it was futile. Laserbeak was determined to undo her hair, the lesser punishment he had come up with that didn't involve permanently damaging the human pet.

"Enough." Starscream reached quickly for the young woman, picking her up carefully and shooing the infuriated bird away. He scanned her, making himself sure that there was not permanent damage. "Don't come near Soundwave when Laserbeak is around. He tends to get jealous."

"Understood." She replied, lowering her gaze. It had not been her fault, and Starscream knew it, but he didn't like showing concern for a pet in front of his Leader. It could be considered a weakness. And Eleonor also knew it, so she didn't complain. After all, he had shooed Laserbeak away and she was not hurt.

"We'll keep this low for now." Megatron said suddenly, unaware of the young woman's predicament. "Soundwave and me are going back to Cybertron to prepare our mission. Starscream, report back to Kaon in three joors. We are going to investigate what's left of the Hall of Records." He commanded. "And... bring your pet. She may be useful." He added, pointing to the young woman with a claw. Eleonor made a curtsy, feeling honored.

* * *

><p>Starscream and Eleonor watched Megatron's ship disappear in the afternoon sky. The seeker and his assistant were heading back to base too. There were many things that they had to prepare for their next visit to Cybertron.<p>

Eleonor sighed softly, trying to preen her hair back to normal.

"Are you alright?" He asked, now that no other mechs were listening.

"I probably look like a lion, but besides that, I'm fine." She smiled slightly. "Laserbeak was jealous, not murderous." She clarified, and a small chuckle escaped the jet in amusement.

"Actually, I was more concerned about your mental well-being." He admitted, back to seriousness. Eleonor sank back into the pilot's seat with a sigh of defeat.

"Well... considering that I have just discovered that the origin of life on Earth was, literally, an experiment of one of the original Thirteen Primes... I think I'm handling it quite fine." She said, running a hand down her face. "I guess I should be thankful anyway. I have the answers I was looking for. No matter how disturbing they are. It's the truth, and I shall deal with it like a good scientist. I have to accept the facts and be objective. Besides, our origin is not going to change who we are, is it?"

"Of course not." The seeker replied, reassuringly.

"But I am a little more concerned about that last discovery. That unknown enemy that surely will come, but we don't know when." She added.

"That creeps me out too..." He admitted and was in silence for some minutes, thinking about that last unnerving discovery. "Do you want me... to stay with you tonight?" Starscream offered, and if he wasn't in his alt mode, he would have smirked. They were getting used to seek comfort in each other after so many disturbing news.

"Yes, please." Eleonor smiled grateful. And then laughed softly, thinking about the seeker's unfortunate choice of words.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** So, I am basically picking up things from pre-existing transformers' lore and mixing them to obtain my own story. Let me know what you think. And thank you for all the fantastic reviews!


	10. Records

Chapter 10: Records

The peace and calmness of the open space surrounded the ship as it made its way towards the moon's space-bridge. Starscream was at the controls, with Eleonor seated next to the main terminal, admiring the view through the bridge's windows.

She was mentally going over the plan and her supplies. They were going to Kaon, meet there with Megatron, and then go to Iacon to investigate what was left of the Hall of Records. It shouldn't take long. The city was in ruins and abandoned, so the risk of been caught in a skirmish was non-existent. All the Autobots had been deported to Earth, after all. Besides, Starscream would have never agreed to bring her along if there was still any danger left.

The only thing to worry about was the air supply. And they were carrying several oxygen cylinders for that purpose. More than necessary, just in case.

So, everything was in order and prepared for an exploration mission that should not take long because they knew _what_ to look for and _where_.

Eleonor smiled for herself, excited in anticipation, thinking about the things they could learn in the Hall of Records.

"I see that you are in good spirits." Starscream observed with a small smirk. He knew that look on her face. Her thirst for knowledge was insatiable.

"Once you get used to the disturbing news, it's actually quite enjoyable. I can't wait to discover more pieces for our puzzle. We are going to unveil all the mysteries and be prepared for anything that the future could bring us." She beamed.

"That's the spirit." Starscream grinned back. Her optimism was infectious.

The space-bridge activated under the command sent by Starscream, and soon the ship was engulfed by the light.

* * *

><p>The impressive cityscape of Kaon stretched out below them as the seeker soared through the sky, bound for the Palace. Eleonor stared in awe from inside the cabin, still amazed by the sight of the major Decepticon city. The highways been raced by a myriad of vehicles, the streets swarming with mechs, the buildings full of activity.<p>

Some time later, they arrived to the Palace. Starscream carried his human charge in one servo as he strode down the ample corridors. They had no time to spare at the rec. hall during this visit. Megatron had contacted them as soon as they had secured the ship at the dock, ordering them to meet him at the conference room.

Starscream pinged the huge door as they arrived to their destiny. It opened with a swoosh and they stepped into the wide room.

Soundwave, Shockwave and Megatron were already there. There was also another mech that Eleonor had not seen before. He was talking to the Decepticon Leader. From the few cybertronian words she was able to pick up, he was presumably reporting something. Starscream had a hard time trying not to cringe in disgust when he saw who his Leader was speaking with. The seeker entered the room trying not to attract any attention towards him or his pet, and stopped beside the huge cyclops mech.

Eleonor took that moment to peek at the scene from behind Starscream's claws and inspect the unknown mech. He was quite big, and his predominant colors were beige, purple and black. She frowned and then arched an eyebrow as she continued to inspect the mech. One could more or less guess the type of vehicle a mech transformed into, mainly because certain parts were still visible in their frames when they transformed. For example, Starscream and his trine-mates retained their wings on their backs, and Knock Out retained his wheels over his shoulders. But this mech... this mech had wings on his back _and_ caterpillar tracks in his legs. Those two things seemed odd together. Eleonor could not understand most of what was been said, but she noticed the smooth and calm voice of the unknown mech as he explained something to his Leader with gentle gestures of his servos. If personality could be judged from manners, the beige and purple mech should be one of those rare tranquil Decepticons.

"**The building is not in too bad shape, despite his age, because of the sturdy materials used in its construction. The northern entrance, however, collapsed and the path is blocked. The southern entrance is, thus, the only one left."** The beige and purple mech finished his report about the structural stability of the Hall of Records and its vicinity.

The Decepticon Leader nodded, pleased with the report.

"**Everything is ready then. Wait for us at the landing platform number two."** Said Megatron, and made a dismissive gesture.

Starscream shifted on his spot and casually put both servos behind his back, still carefully holding the human. She flinched in surprise at the unexpected movement, but didn't make a sound.

The still unknown mech bowed his helm and headed for the door.

"Is Blitzwing going to accompany us, or was he here only to report the structural conditions of the ruins in Iacon?" Starscream asked once the door of the conference room was closed. He repositioned his arms to properly held his human again.

"He was in the bombing of the city and had been in charge of hunting down the Autobot rebels that were left in that zone. He knows very well the terrain, the buildings, the hideouts, the safe zones and the dangerous ones." Megatron made a pause like if he was gathering his strenght to pronounce his next words. "Yes, he is coming along."

"You can't be serious." Starscream hissed, narrowing his optics.

Shockwave dedicated the seeker a disapproving glare for questioning his Leader's decisions, although he neither was thrilled with the idea of bringing Blitzwing along.

"He'll behave. I'll keep him in check. Personally." Megatron replied with a tone that indicated that that matter was over with. He also didn't like his decisions to be questioned.

The seeker let out a disgruntled noise but made no further comments. However, he didn't like the idea in the least.

Eleonor looked back and forth between the Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command. What was with that mech? He had seemed nice to her when she had heard him speaking to Megatron. Maybe he didn't like humans. She was starting to worry a little.

"However, the only ones that had been fully informed about the details of the mission and what you discovered in that planet, are we four. Blitzwing only knows that we want to extract some data from the Hall of Records." Megatron added. "I don't want any disturbing rumors to spread before it's necessary. Understood?"

Starscream, Soundwave, Shockwave and Eleonor nodded at unison.

"Let's go." Megatron commanded.

* * *

><p>They followed Megatron to the landing platform, where Blitzwing was waiting for them, already in jet mode.<p>

"**Lead the way."** Megatron ordered to the beige and purple Decepticon.

Blitzwing complied, and took off with a mighty roar of his engines. Megatron followed him, transforming into his own cybertronian jet form. His engines roared even louder, clearly not designed for stealth. The Decepticon Leader did not hide from his enemies. Soundwave and Shockwave followed next, and the last one was Starscream.

"Listen." Said the beige seeker to Eleonor, once they were flying over Kaon. The young human directed her attention to the dashboard. "Do not approach to Blitzwing. He is a dangerous mech."

Eleonor shuddered with the seriousness of the tone used by Starscream. Was that mech really that dangerous?

"I thought that he was a nice mech. He seemed calm and well-mannered at the conference room." She said. "Is he really that bad?" She wondered, intrigued.

"He is... unstable. He has some... serious _mood-swings_." Starscream replied, trying to look for the right words to put it. "It's difficult to explain. Just don't go near him." Eleonor nodded in reply.

They continued the flight in silence for a while, Eleonor admiring Megatron and Shockwave's alien designs in their alt-modes. Their fuselage was not smooth and even like human jets. It was convoluted and had pointy edges and spikes. They were bigger than Starscream (of course, their mech forms were also bigger, specially Shockwave) and seemed heavier, their engines working hard to keep them en-route. In open space they would have had no problem, because there was no air to cause friction and slow them down. But in the atmosphere and under the gravitational force, they were not the most efficient designs. Soundwave, on the other hand, seemed better suited for flight. His flying alt-mode looked like a cross between his cybertronian form and a human artificial satellite, with flat wings that resembled solar panels.

"Lord Megatron and Shockwave's jet modes seem quite heavy." She idly commented.

"They are. Because of their thick armor. It is also detrimental for their aerodynamics." Starscream explained. "But they can take a couple of good shots without suffering considerable damage."

"And you?"

Starscream chuckled with malice.

"I am too fast in combat to be shot down. My capacity of maneuver is also higher. I am a true seeker. And seekers are born to reign the skies." He said proudly. "Megatron and Shockwave are just ground mechs with a flying alt-form."

"Woah. And Blitzwing?" She asked.

"Blitzwing is neither a seeker." He replied. "He is what we call... a _triple-changer_."

"A _triple-changer_..." She murmured. "He has more than one alt-form?"

"Yes, he also transforms into a tank."

"Oh... that explains why he has wings and caterpillar tracks at the same time. I thought it was a strange combination." She paused. "And what about Soundwave?"

"That 'wings' of his have a double purpose. They are useful for flying, but they also serve as antennas to both emit and pick up transmissions. They are very sensitive to any electromagnetic wave. Soundwave is not our communications officer and espionage master for nothing."

"Amazing." She was truly impressed by the versatility of cybertronian frames. "And you? How were you and your trine-mates before you changed your alt-forms to Earth ones?"

"Prettier."

Eleonor deadpanned and then burst in giggles, not expecting that answer, much less in the hurtful tone that the seeker had used. If he weren't in jet mode, she was sure that Starscream would have pouted like Skywarp did when one of his pranks went wrong.

"You don't believe me? Here's the proof." Starscream chuckled, and brought up a holographic projection over the dashboard. Eleonor stopped her laughter and admired the original alien design of the seeker. The jet form had four pairs of thin wings, two of them bigger and the other two smaller. It had wide air intakes and the shape was sleek and elegant. It was beautiful. The mech form looked even scarier. The wings protruded both from his back, and over his shoulders. He had different designs of claws and feet.

"Well, I have to admit it, that jet form is very nice. Are you planning to change back to your cybertronian form?" She asked.

"Hmm... no. I must admit that the aerodynamics of the Earth planes are better. They are designed to work under thicker atmospheres." He made a pause. "...It also brings me good memories."

Eleonor smiled softly.

"You'll always be the same ruthless Decepticon warrior, Starscream. No matter how you look." She said. That F-22 raptor also brought her good memories.

The seeker chuckled darkly at the praise and made a slow barrel roll through the air.

* * *

><p>An hour later, they could make out the city of Iacon in the distance. The once proud capital of the Autobot empire was now a vast landscape of ruins and damaged buildings. Eleonor looked sadly through the cabin's glass as they descended. Most of the highways were broken. The wide avenues were littered with debris. Some recognizable pieces of armor and splashes of dried up energon adorned the streets. It was like a ghost city.<p>

Eleonor closed her eyes and looked away from the windows, holding tightly to the seat-belt. Megatron and Optimus no longer desired to continue waging war against each other, but that couldn't change the fact that they had been attempting to kill each other during millions of years. Many lives had been lost, and memories could not be erased. So, the only viable option had been trying to walk different paths, far from each other. Autobots on Earth. Decepticons on Cybertron. It had not been easy, but at least, the War had ended.

The young woman had not lived the conflict first hand, like Sam and Mikaela had, but she knew the story. She knew very well that both factions had done horrible things to each other. And she knew that any war, no matter the race, was abominable.

But witnessing by herself the effects of millions of years of war... was painful. She could almost imagine the bombs and fire raining down the city. The screaming if it's citizens. The agonizing cries of the wounded mechs...

"I am sorry... that you had to see this." Starscream said suddenly, pulling Eleonor out of her dark thoughts. His voice was unusually soft. "I am used to it by now... but you are a civil, and I've just realized that this must be frightening for you." Eleonor looked back at the dashboard with a sad expression.

"It's what happened. I cannot turn my back to the truth and pretend it isn't here. I'll be fine." She said, reassuringly. After a little silence, she spoke again. "Can you... show me how it was before the war?"

The dashboard lit again in silent response, this time showing holographic projections of Cybertron's Golden Age. The city of Iacon was bright, in every sense. Unlike Kaon, that was predominantly dark and purple, Iacon's highways were well lit, the buildings were pale golden with red details. It looked welcoming, inviting. Peaceful.

"We can still work for a better future, can't we?" Starscream asked, repeating the same words that Eleonor had said long ago, his tone laced with nostalgia.

"Of course." She replied, patting the seat affectionately.

Some minutes later, they arrived to what was left of the Hall of Records. It was one of the biggest and oldest buildings of Iacon, with a high dome and several entrances.

Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave and Blitzwing transformed just before touching ground, landing on his feet and cracking the already neglected pavement below them. Only Starscream landed in his alt-form, allowing Eleonor to climb down before transforming into his mech mode.

"Oh. So zhat's zhe small human pet I've heard about." Said Blitzwing with quiet disdain, focusing his attention in the young woman.

Eleonor looked back at him for the first time, because during the meeting he had his back turned while speaking with Megatron. His face-plates were pale blue, and one of his red optics was different, rounded, like a zoom-lens.

"Forget the human. Let's go into the Hall." Megatron ordered with an uninterested tone.

Blitzwing face-plates seemed to shift and change it's configuration, and then a different face appeared, replacing the previous one. It was red and had a red visor.

"Vut I can't understand vhy we must stand zhese pesky meat-sacks around us! Eet iz degrading! I am no Autobot!" Roared Blitzwing, stomping one massive foot on the ground. Eleonor stared in horror at the strange mech whose face-plates had changed just before her, not only changing his aspect but also the tone of his voice and his manners, glaring at her with raw fury. "We should kill eet now before eet multiplies!"

Eleonor was frozen in place, all her hairs standing on end.

"Blitzwing!" Roared the Decepticon Leader even louder, making both Eleonor and Blitzwing flinch. "Forget the human. It's hardly a menace."

"Uh, yes, Lord Megatron!" Said the beige and purple mech quickly, standing to attention.

"Lead the way. If I had to repeat myself again I will blow you a new exhaust pipe with my fusion cannon. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Lord Megatron! I vill lead the vay!" Replied Blitzwing, and started to walk, headed to the southern entrance of the Hall.

Starscream crouched and offered a servo to Eleonor, an invitation that she took eagerly. Remaining on the ground near a mech that would gladly 'accidentally' step on her was not a good idea. She looked back at him, grateful for been now in a safer place. Starscream let Shockwave and Soundwave walk in front of him, putting the maximum distance between Blitzwing and him.

Eleonor shivered at the thought of the irate mech. Were all triple-changers like that? Or only him? And why did he speak with a German accent? She had many questions in her mind, but she didn't dare to ask right now. They were on an important mission. Her curiosity could wait.

They entered the building. Part of the dome had fallen off, and now the floor was littered with debris. The interior consisted in a wide hall surrounded by benches and broken monitors.

Shockwave approached one of the few intact terminals.

"There is no power." He stated. Although he already expected that. "But there should be an emergency generator in the lower level."

Megatron nodded, and they moved towards a long ramp that descended to the lower level, describing a wide spiral. The furniture in that level had been piled up in front of the entrances, probably used as barricades to hold the enemies during war times.

Starscream rose his free arm, and his wrist-plates shifted producing a small device that lit up, showing a holographic projection of the building's plan. He had downloaded it before going to Iacon.

"We are here." He said, and one of the sections of the holographic representation of the Hall changed it's color to purple. "And the emergency generator room is in that direction, at the end of the corridor." The destiny in the projection turned red. "I'll go." Dissipating the hologram, the seeker turned and began to walk towards the generator room.

Shockwave and Soundwave went to the nearest terminals, looking for the most intact ones. Blitzwing, who was not very keen on the arts of extracting data, paced around that level of the building, checking the structure for weak points. Megatron rose his wrist and produced his own hologram of the Hall, this one more complete, with plans of the cabling and situation of the data-storage units and servers, as well of the master terminals.

* * *

><p>Turning down a corner, Starscream arrived to the end of the corridor, and entered the emergency generator room.<p>

"What's the problem with Blitzwing?" Eleonor murmured as the seeker placed her on the floor so that he could have both servos free to manipulate the controls of the generator. That odd mech with terrible mood swings gave her the creeps.

"He has always been like that." He replied absently while inspecting the control terminals. "I don't know if something went wrong when he was sparked, or if he has some kind of serious personality disorder... But he is _insane_."

Suddenly, Eleonor felt awful. Terribly awful and inconsiderate. In her mind echoed the words that Knock Out had told her some weeks ago._ 'Decepticons tend to hate or fear what they don't know. You have to give them the chance of knowing you'_. That was what Knock Out had told her when she had been afraid from the other Decepticons in Kaon. And she had been doing the same thing. She had been fearing Blitzwing without knowing him. She was no better than any other Decepticon.

"I am a horrible person." She said suddenly, her face saddening.

"What?" Screeched the seeker, while he was trying to jump-start the generator, connecting it to his own power cables. He was unaware of Eleonor's thread of thoughts.

"Blitzwing. I feared him. I was on the verge of hating him. And it is not his fault that he is like that. He was born... I mean, _sparked_ that way..." She explained, running a hand down her face in a shameful gesture. "It is like if I hated someone for having a disability. I am horrible!"

Starscream stopped what he was doing and stared at his small human for a long minute, in silence. She had remorse and guilt written all over her face.

"You truly can't hold any grudge against anyone, can you?" He asked, puzzled. "You are too kind and you care too much for everyone. I must admit that I admire that forgiving capacity of yours. But you should be more careful. Not everyone out there wants to be cared for." He warned, frowning slightly.

Eleonor sighed, downhearted.

"I will be careful... But tell me something." She was looking at the seeker with a sympathetic expression. "Do you know if Blitzwing has many friends?"

Starscream froze, his optics dimming as he performed a small search through his data-banks.

"No." He shook his helm. "Most of the mechs usually avoid him because of his erratic behaviour. They fear him, hate him or simply think he is insane. They only (and reluctantly) work with him when a mission requires it. The rest of the time he usually spends it alone. Even when he is off-duty."

"That's what I though." Eleonor looked away, remorseful.

Starscream's expression softened. His human had a special talent when it came to guess the feelings of other beings.

"Well, I've never doubted of your female mystical mind-reading powers. And I'm not going to doubt of them now." He smirked. Eleonor smiled softly.

With a small burst of electricity and a few sparks flying from the seeker's cables, the emergency generator finally started to work. The pale lighting of the building came to life, at least from the lights that were not broken.

"Ouch!" Exclaimed the seeker, flinching and disconnecting the cables. "Well, one less thing to worry about. Let's go." He said, crouching offering a servo to his human to climb on.

When she was comfortably seated, he turned and headed for the hall where the rest of the team was waiting.

"By the way, there is still another... aspect of Blitzwing that you have not seen yet." Said the seeker thoughtfully, as he strode down the corridor.

"Another one? Complete, with another face-plate?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. And I sincerely hope that you don't have to meet it."

* * *

><p>Soundwave and Shockwave connected themselves to the nearest terminals, data transfer cables surging from their wrist joints. Megatron had chosen them for this mission for strong reasons. They were the best ones at gathering data and searching for hidden and sensitive information in data-bases. And specially Soundwave was the best cybertronian at hacking through protected files.<p>

Shockwave was collecting all the data he could find about the early Cybertron and the Original Primes. Soundwave, for his part, was looking for powerful cybertronian artifacts, in case he could find what were exactly that sword and cannon mentioned in the carvings inside the golden cavern.

"There is few useful data here, Lord Megatron." Said the cyclops mech after a while. "I have saved all the historical records, but there is few information about the early ages.

The Decepticon Leader nodded in acknowledgement and turned to Soundwave questioningly.

"Artifact data: scarce. Mostly myths and tales." Replied the Communications Officer.

Megatron frowned and lit up again the holographic projection of the building's plan.

"This is the last map that was made of the Hall of Records, dating from several vorns after the War started." He explained. "But this other one..." He rose his free servo and produced another schematic of the building. "...dates from the Golden Age." He held both holograms closely so that they could be easily compared.

"There was a second basement!" Exclaimed Starscream.

"Yes, but look. There were many data cables that went down to that basement, which means that there must be more data-storage units there." Megatron explained, thoughtfully.

"Stoopid Autobots! Zhey zink zhey can keep us from learning zheir secrets!" Shouted Blitzwing in a fit of rage, his face-plates changing to the red one. "I vill blow zhe floor!" The twin cannons that he carried over his shoulders angled down, and a loud whine of charging capacitors could be heard.

Megatron was about to slap the insane mech to bring him back to sense, but the seeker was faster.

"Calm down, Blitzwing." Said Starscream, his voice firm and commanding, but not aggressive. He placed one servo on the triple-changer's shoulder and shook him gently. "If we blow the floor we are going to fall down with it and the data-storage units could be damaged with the debris. Besides, the building has already suffered a lot of damage. I am sure you don't want to make it collapse on top of us."

Blitzwing was shocked. He half expected Starscream to knock him off when he had put a servo on his shoulder, but he had not. His face-plates shifted again to his predominant mood, the blue-faced cool-tempered one.

"Jou are right. I apologize." He said, a little confused. It usually took a harshly shouted command to calm him down, and the seeker did not even seem angry at him. "Maybe zhere is still a hidden entrance or a fake vall. I'll look for eet." He bowed his helm, and moved away to inspect the rest of the hall and corridors. He was still a little confused.

The Decepticon Leader looked at his Second in Command with an inquisitive glare. Starscream just shrugged.

"Well, I suppose we'll find it sooner if we cooperate." Megatron decided. "Start searching."

* * *

><p>The team divided to look for an entrance to the hidden basement. Even Eleonor was trying to help, inspecting the walls while she trailed close behind Starscream. While they were at it, the alarm of her smartphone beeped. She had to replace one of her oxygen cylinders.<p>

"Stupid oxidative metabolism..." She grumbled, adjusting her backpack, once the cylinder was changed.

Starscream chuckled at her misery, placing the empty cylinder back in a compartment in his arm-plates.

Blitzwing turned a corner and arrived at the same hall where the seeker and his human had stopped to renew her oxygen supply.

"_Guten tag_, Blitzwing!" Chirped Eleonor, waving a hand to newly arrived mech. Starscream looked at her questioningly.

The triple-changer stared down at her with an unreadable look and seemed to hesitate for a second, but didn't reply. Instead, he went to the nearest wall to resume his search.

"Err... sorry. I noticed that you speak with this peculiar German accent, and I was wondering if you visited Germany when you were on Earth..." She tried again to start a conversation.

"Stop bothering my subordinates, little pet." Smirked the seeker, giving her a gentle shove with a claw. But his true motive was that he didn't want to risk the triple-changer going into one of his dangerous rage fits. Not with a fragile human in the way. "Let's get back to work."

"I zpent some time hidden in a German military base." Blitzwing suddenly said after a while. "Zhe humans were foolish vut zhey kept some company. Eet was fun to see zhem doing silly zhings." He continued. "Eet vould had been funnier to blow zhem into piezes! Vut Lord Megatron wanted us to keep a low profile until further orders." He added, this time his face-plates changing to the red one.

"You tell me. I spent a year in Berlin, studying about renewable energy sources, and all that was for eating were _wurst_ and all that was for drinking was _bier_! If I had had a rocket launcher at the moment, I would have blown to pieces a couple of restaurants!" She chuckled.

"I vould had helped gladly!." The triple-changer burst in laughter.

Starscream smirked for himself. Eleonor knew the right words to say to everymech. Then, inwardly replaying what the beige and purple mech had said before, Starscream realized something. Blitzwing had been hiding in a human military base. Megatron's orders had been to keep a low profile until their next move. _Anywhere_. Many mechs had chosen hiding in deserted areas. But the triple-changer had chosen to hide surrounded by humans. It was clearly obvious that he disliked humans. But he disliked been alone even more.

Despite his multiple personalities, Blitzwing was a lonely mech. But not by choice.

"Blitzwing." The seeker said suddenly, making the triple-changer to stand attention. "You should come by the rec. hall some time. Been alone can be boring sometimes."

The beige and purple mech stopped in his tracks.

"I... zhink I could use... some company." Blitzwing replied with his calm blue face, still a little hesitantly. People didn't usually offered him to spend time with them.

"That would be a great idea. There is something different going on in that room every day." Added Eleonor, looking to the triple-changer with a bright smile.

Suddenly, Blitzwing's face changed again, but this time every piece of plate disappeared, been replaced by some sort of black curved LED screen. As soon as it appeared, some of the LED's lit up, glowing in red, forming a mouth and two eyes, very similar to a creepy jack-o-lantern face.

"Oh, zhat vould be sooo coool!" Grinned the creepy displayed face, making Eleonor pale and step closer to the seeker. "I hope we could organize a party! I like dancing! Ha ha ha!" And then, the huge triple-changer started swinging around, moving his servos as if he was holding a pair of maracas. Every shake was accompanied by a crooned 'cha-cha-cha'.

The young woman did not know if she should be afraid or start laughing at the dancing mech's performance. Starscream, for his part, quickly reached for his human to hold her in his servos, in case one of Blitzwing's dancing moves ended in tragedy.

And just as he was fearing, one miscalculated swing, and the triple changer tripped over a chunk of debris, going right to Starscream. The seeker, in an impressive display of quick reflexes, moved aside and dodged him, only to trip over another loose boulder.

It was an spectacular fall, but when everything stopped spinning, Starscream was laying flat on the floor over his belly, and had somehow managed to keep his human safely trapped between his two servos, forming a protective cage around her with his claws. Blitzwing had landed over the seeker, and was momentarily stunned by the fall.

"Unh..." Murmured the triple-changer, shaking his helm slightly.

And as if on cue, Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave turned around a corner and arrived at that moment at the scene.

"What are you three playing to?" Barked the Decepticon Leader, scowling at the falling mechs. "This is a serious mission. We don't have time for this nonsense! Get up!"

"Eet vas an accident, my Lord." Apologized the triple-changer quickly, his face-plates turning to the blue serious one, as he straightened a little.

"Arhg, Blitzwing... get off my wings first! Explanations later!" The seeker complained in exasperation. He opened his claws to check on his human. She seemed to be a little dizzy, but she waved a hand to the seeker and gave him a 'thumbs up', wordlessly telling him that she was alright.

"Blitzwing you found it! You are the best!" Eleonor suddenly cheered pointing to a wall.

"Of course I found eet! Zhat vas my intention from zhe beginning! Bwa ha ha!" Replied Blitzwing, changing again to his creepy jack-o-lantern screen-face. "Uh... vhat did I find?"

"The entrance to the hidden second basement." Clarified Shockwave, pointing to the wall.

During the fall, one of the beige and purple mech's wings had knocked down part of the wall, revealing a cavity behind it.

"Yay! I'm zhe best dancer! Ha ha ha!" Laughed the triple-changer with a huge grin adorning his LED screen. Megatron and Shockwave looked at each other with a puzzled expression.

"For Primus' sake, Blitzwing, get off me once and for all!" Screeched the seeker, helplessly flailing his legs, unable to get up with the heavier triple-changer pinning him down.

Megatron resisted the urge of face-palming at the sight.

"I apologize." Replied the beige and purple mech, finally getting up. Changing his face-plates to the quiet blue one, he helped Starscream to rise from the floor.

"Well, let's go." Ordered the Decepticon Leader, and with a mighty punch, he brought down the rest of the already damaged wall, revealing a narrow corridor at the other side.

* * *

><p>The corridor had no lighting and descended in spiral until it ended in another underground hall. Fortunately, Starscream found the controls of the emergency lights, so that they could see the contents of the hidden room.<p>

It was full of data-storage units arranged beside the walls. Everything was in perfect condition. It seemed that the War did not breach into that small piece of Iacon.

Shockwave approached one of the storage units and connected to it, extending his data-transfer cables from his wrist. Soundwave did the same, and both of them remained in silence for some minutes while they scanned the data-bases for useful information.

"The air is so still here... this place has been isolated since the beginning of the War." Murmured the seeker. Eleonor held tightly to one clawed finger as she scouted the room with her sight.

"Someone took a lot of precautions to hid this place. I wonder what secrets it may hold." Megatron absently replied.

Suddenly, they heard a low groan and the Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command turned to see the huge form Shockwave falling to one knee.

"Shockwave?" Exclaimed Megatron.

But Soundwave was the first one to react, as he quickly extended a blade from his arm-plates and sliced through the cyclops mech's data-transfer cables. Then, the Communications Officer also dropped to the floor, disconnecting his cables in the process.

"What happened?" Asked the Decepticon Leader, as he rushed to Shockwave's side and helped him up. Blitzwing did the same with Soundwave.

"Data status: protected by coding. Backlash: triggered when accessing files." Explained Soundwave.

"That coding was designed to shut down whoever might try to gain access to any file dating from the early ages of Cybertron." Shockwave let out a deep angered growl. He hated to fail in his duties. Much more in front of Megatron.

Soundwave, for his part, remained in silence, keeping his rage inside, as usual. He also hated to fail his Leader. But a deeper concern raced through his circuits. He was the best hacker among both Decepticons and Autobots. No one could match his skills. If he couldn't access those files, no one would be able to do it. And if no one succeeded to access those files and learn about those legendary weapons... their race would be doomed. They were the key to defeat that mysterious enemy that would arrive in a distant future.

The blue and silver mech rose from the floor, his expression unreadable, hidden behind his mask and visor.

The rest of the present mechs looked at him questioningly, but they received no answer.

And in a swift motion, he extended the thick tentacle-like appendages that he usually kept hidden within his chest, slamming them into the data-storage units, smaller feelers surging from their tips, embedding themselves inside the circuitry. He had not used this technique since he hacked the Earth's satellites several years ago. It permitted him a closer access to the data, evading the coding in the mainframe.

"Soundwave! Stop!" Megatron ordered in a harsh tone, usually reserved for other misbehaved mechs, but never for the Communications Officer.

However, the blue and silver mech was determined to ignore his Leader for the first time. He was sure he could do it. He kept fighting and evading the insidious coding that kept trying to shut him down every time he tried to pull out a file. Soundwave endured through it, rising firewalls around him, encrypting his moves, hiding his tracks.

But the backlash program seemed to be designed to learn and evolve from his hacking attempts, learning from them and gaining speed in shattering Soundwave's protective firewalls.

The Communications Officer fell to the floor on all fours, the antennae arrays on his back shaking slightly. The coding was too powerful.

"ENOUGH!" Barked Megatron, loosing his patience and temper. He grabbed Soundwave's tentacles and pulled back, tearing them from their targets. "What happens with you, Soundwave? This is the first time you ignore a direct order."

The blue mech looked up at his Leader.

"Soundwave: cannot afford to fail." He replied, fighting to keep his tone emotionless.

Megatron was taken aback by the reply of his Third in Command. It had gone unnoticed for the rest of his subordinates, but not for him. Megatron was used to listen to his Communications Officer, and he was able to pick the tiny glint of desperation laced in the blue mech's usually emotionless tone.

Suddenly, Megatron felt proud of his subordinates. He wasn't Optimus Prime, but he also had loyal soldiers that were ready to risk their lives for him and his cause.

"And I can't afford loosing my best hacker, you fool!" Megatron replied, his optics flaring brightly. "I can't afford loosing anyone!" He added in a huff, mostly for himself, but everyone heard him.

Soundwave bowed his helm in a shameful gesture. Not only he had failed in his duty, he had disobeyed a direct order from his Leader.

Eleonor was staring in silence at the scene before her. Megatron reminded her at that very moment of Optimus. Maybe a darker, more harsh and ruthless version of the Prime, but he also cared for his soldiers in his own way, although he would never admit it. Since The Fallen was destroyed, the Decepticon Leader had been truly living up to his rightful title of High Lord Protector.

Rising from the floor, still weak from the backlash coding, Soundwave went to reviewing the few incomplete files he had managed to extract. And he found a very interesting piece of information. He smirked inwardly. That hacking attempt had not been completely in vain.

"Hidden room." He stated, walking, headed to another unit across the hall.

"Soundwave..." Megatron hissed dangerously, suspecting that his Third in Command was about to disobey him again.

"Another hidden room." He clarified, placing both servos on the nearest storage unit and pushing it aside. Behind it, on the wall, a concealed door could be guessed. He turned to look back at his Leader, his red visor flashing proudly.

Megatron failed to suppress a smirk from crossing his features.

"I am going to let this little insubordination of yours slip this time. After all, this has been the first one." Megatron shook his helm in disbelief.

"Ah, yes, this is only the beginning. Soon, Soundwave, you will be like me." Starscream added, his voice purring with malice. The blue mech's visor flashed indignantly.

"Primus help me if that ever happens." Groaned Megatron, letting out a long sigh through his vents.

* * *

><p>The hidden door seemed to be locked from the inside, and it took a while until Shockwave managed to rewire the control panel and unlock it. Finally, the heavy door opened with a hissing of hydraulics, revealing its secrets.<p>

"What in the name of the Allspark...?" Murmured Megatron, scanning the interior. He stepped inside and approached cautiously to the center of the room.

There, laying on a berth was the body of a big mech. His armor didn't seem to be very thick, and was adorned with elaborate motifs. His face-plates had a regal and calm expression, and were adorned with protrusions that were similar to a beard and moustache.

"Is he dead?" Asked Blitzwing quietly.

Starscream approached and scanned him, sharpening his sensors to the maximum and scanning the mysterious mech.

"There is still a very faint spark reading. He is in deep stasis and very low on energon." The seeker replied with an even tone. "...Who is this mech, anyway?"

The present mechs exchanged questioning looks until Shockwave spoke.

"The _Librarian_." Said the cyclops mech. "He wasn't seen in public very often, he almost never left the Hall. I know him because I came to speak with him once. It was at the beginning of the War. I needed some information about the Autobots, but he refused to give it to me." Shockwave explained. "I remember him scolding me about been a Decepticon."

"So, he was an Autobot?" Asked Blitzwing.

"No. He also complained about the Autobots. He kept yelling at me that factions were a useless and foolish thing." Replied Shockwave.

"Why didn't you kill him for opposing you?" Insisted the triple-changer.

"Because I obtained the information I was looking for after all, hacking into the data-bases. And he was an old, senile and weak mech. It wasn't worth it." Shockwave shrugged.

"What was his designation?" Asked Megatron, tapping his chin-plates with a claw.

"I don't know. Everyone called him the Librarian." Replied Shockwave.

The Decepticon Leader was in silence for some minutes, lost in his thoughts.

"I want to question him." Megatron said suddenly. "What do we need to wake him up?"

"Now?" Asked Starscream, surprised. His Leader nodded very seriously. The seeker scanned the old mech again. "Mainly, energon." He replied, shaking his helm. "And I doubt I can find any in what's left of Iacon."

Then, Soundwave approached to the seeker and extracted an energon cube from subspace, placing it in Starscream's free servo.

"Oh, very prudent of you." Murmured the Second in Command in disbelief.

"Symbionts: get hungry easily." The Communications Officer shrugged very slightly.

"But I fear there is another problem." Sighed Starscream, approaching to the motionless mech over the berth. "He is extremely low on energon. So low that his peripheral lines are completely dry. The energon should be directly transferred to his main lines or tank. And although I have some basic field medic training, I don't have the necessary equipment to do that, nor the proper servo-modifications for such delicate procedure."

"Where is that pompous medic when you need him..." Groaned the Decepticon Leader.

"Could this help?" Eleonor suddenly said, peeking from behind Starscream's claws. She was holding in her hands a cybertronian I.V. line.

"Since when do you have that?" Asked the seeker in disbelief.

"Ratchet gave me a small cybertronian first-aid kit with some basic tools. Just in case." She explained quietly.

"So, he trained you in basic cybertronian field repairs, and gave you a first-aid kit." Starscream shook his helm in amusement. "He didn't trust me to keep myself out of trouble, or what?" He asked rhetorically.

"Well, well... your little assistant is full of surprises." Smirked Megatron, crossing his arms over his broad chest-plates. The young woman blushed slightly.

Starscream left his human onto the berth, near the slumbering mech.

"_You_ are going to perform the energon transfusion." He said very seriously, pointing to Eleonor with a sharp claw.

"M-me, Sir?" Eleonor stiffened.

"You heard me. None of us has the necessary servo modifications. It is a very simple procedure, you won't have any complication with your small hands. Understood?" Explained the seeker.

"Yes, Sir." Eleonor nodded with determination. Her help was needed, and she was going to do her best.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** First of all, happy holidays to everyone, regardless of if you believe in Santa Claus, the Three Wise Men, the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Primus.

**[A/N]2:** Sorry for the delay, I've been busy lately. And the next chapter will also take a while, because holidays are in between, and I'm going for a little off-roading vacation in Morocco with my family and my Mitsubishi :P

**[A/N]3:** What do you think of my Blitzwing version? He is a difficult character to play! I hope it turned out well. And I am not comfortable writing with German accent. I hope that turned out well too...

**[A/N]4:** Soundwave superior!


	11. Weapons

Chapter 11: Weapons

Eleonor felt a little nervous as she prepared the I.V. line. Of course it was a simple procedure, but with every optic on her, it was a little unsettling. Starscream, who also had some training in first aid, was helping her with the tasks that required more physical strenght, like pulling aside the armor plates and the thicker cables of the slumbering mech.

"I need some light." She said, looking inside the open chest of the Librarian. The room in which they were didn't have very potent lighting, and the interior of the mech was completely in the shadows.

Blitzwing approached and turned on several small spotlights that he had built-in in his chassis, effectively illuminating her work zone.

"OK, I can see the fuel tank." She murmured, as she grabbed the line and squirmed her way inside the mech's open chest. There, she opened a manual energon inlet, and hooked the I.V. line in it.

Climbing outside the chest, she opened the line valve and the energon started to flow from the cube to the mech's fuel tank. In a few minutes, the transfusion was complete, and Eleonor unhooked the lines. Then, connecting a datapad to one of the mech's medical ports, she ran a quick scan to check the health status of the slumbering mech. After all, he seemed to have been in stasis for a very long time, and it was possible that he had sustained damage due to aging in that time.

"What is his status?" Starscream asked, closing the chest of the Librarian.

"He definitely could use some maintenance. His circuits seem in bad shape and his joints are a little rusted, but he'll live." She replied, reviewing the diagnosis in the datapad. "However, he seems to have spent so much time in stasis, that his initializing circuits are having a hard time trying to reboot. I am going to manually force a jump-start." She added, and begun typing the necessary commands in the datapad, just as Ratchet had taught her.

Megatron had been inspecting her work, secretly marvelled by her precise movements and infinite care as she was handling the delicate inner parts of the sleeping Librarian. Medical mechs were always useful, and every team should have one. But they weren't abundant. It had been a lucky strike that his Second in Command's pet happened to have some basic medical training.

"Well, I've done everything I could. I think he should wake up at any time soon if-Woah!" But she couldn't finish the sentence, because the slumbering mech's body jerked beneath her as he on-lined, making Eleonor loose her balance. "Help!" She gasped as she felt the gravity claiming her.

Fortunately, she didn't make it too far, and her fall was stopped by the nearest servo. She let out a relieved sigh, looking down at the floor. The berth in which she had been working was quite high, and she could have been badly hurt.

"Woohoo! I gotcha, little nurse! Can I keep her? Can I?"

Eleonor looked up and discovered that his saviour had been the triple-changer, that happened to be the nearest mech. His LED screen-face was displaying a huge grin, as he rose her to optic level. The young woman flinched slightly at the sudden move, holding to a finger for balance.

Starscream's wings stiffened. His pet was in the servos of a potentially dangerous mech, who was also quite unstable due to his personality changes. Eleonor also knew this, and was frozen in place, trying to think of the best way to get out of the delicate predicament.

"Thank you, Blitzwing! You saved me!" Eleonor beamed. A response that none of the present mechs were expecting. Not even the triple-changer, because he was also stunned in silence for almost five seconds.

"Gou with your owner, zmall pest. I do not save puny zhings like yoo." Blitzwing's face-plates had changed to the red-visored one. He turned to Starscream and placed her a little harshly, but unharmed, in the seeker's servos.

The seeker released a metaphorical breath he didn't know he was holding, and kept his human close to his chest, protectively shielded within his servos.

"**Where****... ****am ****I****?"**

And with all the trouble, they had completely forgotten that the slumbering mech was no longer asleep.

The old mech straightened himself to a sitting position, all his joints cracking and hydraulics hissing in the process.

"**Who ****are ****you****?"** He added, looking around him and taking in all the mechs that were surrounding him.

Megatron intervened at that moment, deciding that his subordinates had had enough diversions, and that it was time for serious business. He approached to the berth where the old mech was sitting, and crossed his strong arms over his broad chest-plates.

"_**I **_**make ****the ****questions ****here****."** Megatron stated with a cold tone.

The old mech looked back at Megatron, and narrowed his optics, studying the Decepticon Leader for a long moment.

"**You ****would ****do ****well ****in ****respecting ****your ****elders****, ****youngling****."** He said suddenly, and not satisfied with glaring back at Megatron, he accompanied his reply with a smack in the Decepticon Leader's helm.

Of course the hit had been only to prove his point, and had not physically harmed Megatron in any way. But it had been so long since anyone had dared to treat him with such disrespect, that the Decepticon Leader just stood there with a dumbfounded expression for a long moment, too shocked to speak.

Starscream's wings stiffened. Soundwave's visor flashed bright red in surprise. Shockwave's arm-gun twitched and whirled slightly. Blitzwing cringed involuntarily. Eleonor suppressed a gasp, staring at the scene between the seeker's servos. She had not understood a thing of what had been said, but the smack at the Decepticon Leader's helm had been in universal-language.

"**Well****, ****are ****you ****all ****going ****to ****stand ****there ****dumbfounded ****or ****are ****you ****going ****to ****help ****an ****old ****mech ****to ****stand****?"** The old mech grumbled and descended from the berth with difficulty, his joints creaking and hissing, protesting with the lack of usage. **"****By ****Primus****, ****these ****younglings ****are ****worse ****mannered ****with ****each ****passing ****millenia****! ****What ****did ****they ****teach ****you ****at ****the ****academy****?"** He stretched his aching back and took a couple of tentative steps, walking with a stoop.

Megatron, by that moment, had managed to come out of his stupor, and was now shaking with contained fury, barely suppressing the urge to blast the old mech with his fusion cannon.

"**Do ****you ****have ****any ****idea ****of ****whom ****you ****are ****speaking ****to****?"** Inquired Megatron, and the tone of his voice was enough to make energon and blood froze in lines and veins. The old mech, however, seemed immune to this effects.

"**Of ****course****, ****you ****are ****Megatron****. ****The ****founder ****of ****one ****of ****those ****two ****idiotic ****factions ****that ****are ****raising****. ****I ****don****'****t ****remember ****which ****one****, ****though****."** He replied, waving a servo in the air with a dismissive gesture. Then, he paused for a couple of seconds, glancing up as if he was remembering something from a distant past. **"****Even ****before ****you ****could ****use ****your ****vocalizer****, ****I ****had ****already ****heard****..."** He trailed off.

"**What****?"**

"**Ah****, ****I ****have ****forgotten ****it****."** The old mech shrugged, with a weak chuckle.

An awkward silence engulfed the room and its occupants.

"Do you remember all that times that I have called you 'old senile rust bucket'?" Murmured Starscream, breaking the silence and glancing at his Leader with a deadpanned expression. "Well, I take them back."

Megatron growled dangerously at his Second in Command, but was interrupted by the old mech.

"**And ****what ****senseless ****jargon ****are ****you ****speaking****, ****sparkling****?"**

"_**Sparkling**_**?"** Repeated Starscream in shock. The senile mech had called Megatron 'youngling', and not satisfied with that, he dared to call him 'sparkling'! **"****I ****have ****not ****survived ****thousands ****of ****stellar ****cycles ****of **_**war **_**to ****be ****called ****a **_**sparkling **_**by ****a ****senile ****fool****!"** He screeched.

"**War****?"** Repeated the old mech in shock. **"****What **_**war**_**?"**

Megatron let out an aggravated sigh, starting to loose his patience. He was starting to think that all the trouble passed to reawaken this mech was going to be in vain.

"**Answer ****my ****questions ****and ****I **_**may **_**consider ****enlightening ****you****."** He stated, making a huge effort in keeping his tone neutral.

"**Such ****disrespect****! ****Hmpf****!"** Huffed the old mech, shaking a fist into the air in a threatening manner. The Decepticon Leader, however, was now at a safe distance. And fortunately, the old stubborn mech realized that he was in no position to demand anything, and gave up. **"****Well****, ****ask ****then****, ****youngling****."**

Megatron suppressed a growl at been called 'youngling' again.

"**Who ****are ****you****?"** The Decepticon Leader demanded to know.

"_**The **__**Librarian**_**."** Replied easily the old mech.

"**And ****what ****else****?"** Megatron was not satisfied with that answer.

"**The ****Librarian ****of ****the **_**Hall **__**of **__**Records**_**."** Insisted the old mech.

"**The **_**Librarian **_**my ****aft****!"** Snarled Megatron, slamming a fist down the nearest berth, his patience lost at that point. **"****We ****have ****just ****reawakened ****you ****from ****stasis****. ****You ****have ****been ****down ****here ****for ****thousands ****of ****stellar ****cycles****. ****I ****don****'****t ****know ****if ****you ****put ****yourself ****in ****stasis ****or ****if ****someone ****else ****did ****it ****for ****you****, ****but ****I ****know ****one ****thing****. ****You ****were ****hidden ****in ****a ****secret ****chamber ****in ****a ****hidden ****basement ****of ****this ****building****. ****Hidden ****and ****forgotten ****through ****the ****Great ****War****. ****So****, ****that ****leads ****me ****to ****only ****one ****conclusion****."** He made a dramatic pause and approached to the old mech in an intimidating manner. **"****You ****are **_**more **_**than ****you ****let ****know****, ****and ****you ****must ****hold ****some **_**sensitive **__**information**_**."** He smirked at the stunned expression that the old mech was giving him. **"****Am ****I ****wrong****?"**

The Librarian was in silence during a long minute, staring at Megatron with a blank expression.

"**There ****has ****been ****a **_**war **_**while ****I ****was ****in ****stasis****...?"** Muttered the old mech in disbelief.

"**That****'****s ****the ****only ****thing ****you ****have ****heard ****from ****everything ****I****'****ve ****said****?"** Snarled Megatron and was about to grab the senile Librarian by his neck cables, but the seeker, reading his Leader's murderous glare, reacted first.

Leaving Eleonor over the berth, Starscream quickly reached for his Leader, grasping one of his arms to stop him.

"Don't do it! He may yet be of use! Calm down!" The seeker exclaimed in alarm, sinking his clawed feet in the floor, but even like that, Megatron managed to drag him a couple of steps.

"Release me! I'm going to strangle him!"

Eleonor, meanwhile, was squirming on her spot over the berth, sick with worry. It was difficult to understand the conversation going around her in cybertronian, but from the few things said in English and the witnessed events, she could conclude that Megatron was extremely displeased with the old mech.

The Librarian, for his part, seemed to have realized the danger of infuriating the huge silver mech that was trying to question him, and recoiled in time to avoid been hit. And at that time, he noticed the young woman standing on the berth.

"**What ****in ****Primus****' ****name****..."** He murmured, locking his optics on her and forgetting again about the struggle between the Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command. Eleonor looked back at him. The look on his old face-plates was not one of disgust or fear. It was one of amazement. **"...****are ****you****...?" **He took a step closer to the berth.

But only a step was all he could move before a huge arm-gun was aimed at him, almost at point-blank range, huge weapon capacitors whining ominously, a cold single optic fixated on him.

Starscream and Megatron froze in the middle of their struggle and looked back at Shockwave. The usually tranquil cyclops mech was as loyal as deadly, but he rarely acted without command and definitely, he never lost his temper.

"What is this? The 'let us ignore our Leader's orders' day?" Megatron snarled in frustration.

"**I ****know ****who ****you ****are****."** Stated Shockwave, his voice as cold as calm, his gaze still locked on the old mech. **"****When ****we ****were ****making ****the ****energon ****transfusion ****to ****bring ****you ****out ****of ****stasis ****I ****took ****a ****look ****at ****your ****internals****. ****Your ****signs ****of ****aging****, ****the ****stress ****of ****the ****joints ****and ****the ****small ****bits ****of ****rust****... ****are ****like ****nothing ****I****'****ve ****seen ****before****. ****Your ****alloys ****are ****different ****from ****ours****. ****And ****I ****have ****only ****seen ****that ****kind ****of ****alloys ****once ****before****."** He made a dramatic pause. **"****When ****I ****descended ****into ****Cybertron****'****s ****core ****to ****study ****it****."**

Starscream approached the berth and picked his human, to keep her from potential danger. He didn't know what the cyclops mech had in mind.

"**Not ****only ****you ****are ****older ****than ****the ****War****... ****you ****are ****almost ****as ****old ****as ****our ****planet****."** Continued Shockwave. **"****But ****what ****finally ****made ****up ****my ****mind****... ****was ****the ****moment ****when ****you ****saw ****her****."** He pointed to the human in Starscream's servos. **"****Your ****optics ****betrayed ****you****. ****They ****showed ****amazement ****and ****fascination****, ****but ****also ****a ****glint ****of **_**recognizing**_**... ****You ****were ****not ****very ****surprised ****to ****see ****her****."** The Librarian stopped looking at Shockwave and risked a glance at the human. **"****You ****have ****seen ****this ****species ****before****, ****even ****though ****you ****didn****'****t ****know ****what ****they ****were ****at ****the ****moment****. ****Am ****I ****wrong****, **_**Alpha **__**Trion**_**?"**

The Librarian looked intently at the human, who was holding tightly to a claw, while the seeker kept her protected in his servos. She was looking back at him, unafraid, but warily.

"**Yes****, ****I ****have****."** He gave up with a sigh. **"****And ****yes****, ****I ****was ****once ****known ****as ****Alpha ****Trion****. ****But ****that ****was ****a ****long ****time ****ago****."**

Megatron, in the meanwhile, had managed to regain his composure, and his enrage was starting to subside. And he was certainly pleased with Shockwave's processor quickness and his observation abilities.

"**Does ****this ****mean**** that ****we ****can **_**finally **_**speak ****without ****hiding ****things****? ****In ****a ****civilized ****manner****, ****without ****shooting ****our ****heads ****off****?"** Starscream asked in annoyance. **"****By ****Primus****... ****I****'****ve ****never ****thought ****I****'****d ****say ****that****..."** He added, muttering to himself.

The old mech nodded slowly, and Shockwave moved away his arm-gun, relaxing his stance slightly.

"**At ****long ****last****!"** Megatron exclaimed, approaching in a little less intimidating way, but still annoyed at the Librarian.

"**So****... ****how ****do ****you ****call ****this ****species****?"** Asked the ancient Prime.

"**They ****call ****themselves **_**humans**_**."** Explained the seeker.

Eleonor perked up, recognizing the cybertronian word for 'humans', and knew they were speaking about her. That, and the fact that all optics were on her at the moment. She felt even smaller under the intent gaze of the huge mechs.

"**Can ****it ****understand ****us****?"**

"**Only ****a ****few ****words****. ****But ****their ****language ****is ****very ****simple****. ****I ****can ****send ****you ****a ****data ****burst ****with ****everything ****you ****need ****to ****know****."** Suggested Starscream, and he did it. It took only a few minutes for the ancient Prime to review it.

Megatron was still a little displeased with been kept waiting. Patience had never been one of his best qualities. But he agreed with the idea of teaching the human language to the Librarian. After all, the human female had proven herself useful several times, and if this mech was indeed Alpha Trion, the one who wrote the Covenant of Primus, having them speaking together could reveal more important information.

"Greetings, human being." Saluted the ancient Prime, as gently as he could, leaning closer. The new language still felt a little awkward in his vocalizer. Eleonor looked at him, and then back at Starscream. The seeker nodded reassuringly, indicating that no harm would come to her with him keeping a close watch.

"Hello, Sir." She saluted timidly, as Starscream deposited her on the berth again.

"What is your designation, and where do you come from?" He wanted to know. He spoke slowly and his voice had a regal tone that reminded her of Optimus.

"My... designation is Eleonor. And I come from a planet called Earth, many light years from here."

"And what are you doing here, so far from your home?"

"I was invited to come here. I try to help in every way I can." She replied, humbly. The old Prime nodded slowly.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No, Sir."

"People just call me the Librarian. But a long time ago, I was known as _Alpha __Trion_."

Eleonor's eyes widened. She remembered clearly everything they had discovered at the golden cave. In front of her was one of the original Thirteen Primes. So ancient and so powerful that he should probably be the closest to a god that she would ever met.

"You wrote the Covenant of Primus." She said in disbelief, and wondered if she should be bowing in respect.

"Yes I did. Have you seen it?"

"Yes, we have recently discovered it... There were some things written in the Covenant that foreboded a great danger in the future. But there were also some things that we did not quite understand completely. That's why we are here, at the Hall of Records. We were looking for more useful information to help us unveiling the mysteries." She explained.

"I see that you care for the well been of your people as well as that of other sentient beings." He concluded, looking back at Megatron. The Decepticon Leader, for his part, tried very hard to suppress an optic from twitching. "In that case... I shall help you in every way I can." Added the ancient Prime. "You may ask what you wish to know." He finished with a solemn expression.

Megatron cycled air slowly through his vents, putting his thoughts in order and trying to calm down completely before speaking. And he found that he didn't really know where to begin with. They had discovered many things lately that needed to be explained. But first things first, there was one priority above all the things he wanted to ask.

"The covenant mentioned a 'great evil' in a more or less distant future. And that it could be defeated only with two specific weapons: a _sword_ and a _cannon_ of some kind... The text was quite vague." Megatron explained. "I want to know what those weapons are exactly and where to find them."

"Direct to the point." Smiled the ancient Prime with benevolence. "Those weapons you speak of, are the _Star __Saber_ and the _Requiem __Blaster_."

An awkward silence fell upon the room for some seconds.

"I thought what those were only sparkling-tales." Megatron murmured.

"Yeah, and the Covenant. Until _yesterday_." Starscream sneered.

"There are a lot of things that you don't know." Said the Librarian. "Important things. But I kept them in secret. Hidden from the rest of our world." He added, shaking his helm with regret, a sorrowful look in his optics.

"Why?"

"Because in the wrong servos, that information would have caused great destruction." Replied the ancient Prime, his shoulders dropping. "The Requiem Blaster could level _mountains_ with a single shot. And the Star Saber... we had to destroy it soon after we created it."

"Hold on a nanoklik." Intervened Starscream. "One of the weapons we are looking for was destroyed? And soon after creating it? Why would you do that?"

"Because that blade... was powerful enough to actually destroy _stars_ with _one __blow_... It was too dangerous." Explained the ancient Prime.

"So, what hope do we have now that the blade was destroyed?" Starscream huffed.

"Well, it was not actually destroyed..." Confessed the old mech. "It was split apart in five pieces, and scattered across the galaxies." Starscream face-palmed at that point. "The only thing that you must do now is search for the pieces and forge it back again." He concluded, as if it was an easy task. Megatron couldn't stop an undignified sigh scape his vents.

"Do we even have a clue of where to start searching?" Asked the Decepticon Leader, suppressing a groan.

"Of course. Each fragment will take you to the next one. And the first one is here, in Cybertron." Replied Alpha Trion, and Megatron felt slightly relieved. Only slightly.

"Where?" The huge silver mech demanded to know.

"Protected by Vector Sigma."

"WHAT?" Snarled the Decepticon Leader.

"Protected by Vector Sigma, I said. Do your audio receptors work fine? I thought that the senile one was me..." Repeated the ancient Prime. "You have _the __Key_, don't you?" He added, his expression darkening with concern.

Megatron let himself drop onto a nearby chair. A very undignified gesture for the Decepticon Leader.

"You don't have the Key." The old mech stated with sadness, as realization hit him.

Eleonor, who had been silently listening to the conversation going around her, tilted her head to a side with a puzzled expression. She didn't know what Vector Sigma was, and much less that Key they were mentioning. But she was not about to interrupt Megatron or Alpha Trion with petty questions. She would save them for later.

"And the Requiem Blaster?" Megatron asked, changing the subject.

"In the same place where the Covenant of Primus is located." Replied the ancient Prime.

"...Well, at least that one is easy. We'll leave that for the last one. For now, my main concern is the Star Saber, because it will take longer to recover." Said Megatron, before falling in a long thoughtful silence.

"There are a lot of things that you must learn yet to fully understand the nature of this weapons, young Megatron." Said the Librarian, after a while.

"I am not young." Growled the Decepticon Leader with a warning tone.

"Everything is young compared to me." The old mech shrugged. "And I hate to reiterate myself, but you must listen to what I have to say."

Megatron narrowed his optics. He was the Leader of the Decepticon cause. The High Lord Protector. Maximum authority on Cybertron. He shouldn't take orders from anyone. However, in front of him was now an Ancient Prime. One of the original Thirteen. And the feat he had ahead was going to be very difficult.

Leader or not, he was in no position to disregard any advice.

"Speak then."

Alpha Trion nodded slowly, and took a seat in another chair, his joints creaking and whining in protest.

"In the beginning, there was _Primus_. Almost as old as the Universe itself. Good and benevolent. He was light and he was life." He started his narration. "But where light exists, there is always shadow. And where life grows, there is also death." He paused. "Thus, was then when _Unicron_ appeared. Unicron was evil and twisted. Shadow and death. His only purpose, to destroy everything in his path." The ancient prime ran a servo down his long beard-like face-plates. "Primus and Unicron fought against each other for eons. None of them getting the upper hand in that battle, because their power was exactly the same."

The Decepticon Leader nodded, motioning for the Librarian to go on with his story.

"That was until Primus did something that Unicron could not do. He created life. He created us, the original Thirteen Primes. His direct descendants. Each one of us with very special talents." He paused and glanced at the young woman. "One us, Solus Prime, was what you may call, a female. She was smaller than the rest of us, but she was kind and noble, with a strong sense of justice. She found joy in creation, that's why we called her _the __Maker_. And her special talent was weaponsmithing. She was the one who created the Requiem Blaster and forged the Star Saber." He explained. "It was thanks to those weapons that we were finally able to defeat Unicron, and banish him into the confines of the Universe."

"But those weapons were too powerful, and great power can corrupt the sparks of the most noble mechs. That's why we decided to hide the Requiem Blaster and split the Star Saber apart, scattering his fragments into the galaxies. We could not risk them to fall into the wrong servos."

"I... understand." Murmured Megatron, remembering the past. Should he had found any of those weapons while been maddened by the Fallen, he could have extinguished his own race and sliced Cybertron in half.

"The Requiem Blaster is hidden in the same place as the Covenant of Primus, as I have already told you." The Librarian continued. "With the Star Saber it was a little more complicated. We split it apart in five pieces, as I said before, and..." He trailed off. "Have I already told you about Nexus Prime?"

Everymech shook their helms.

"Nexus Prime was another one of the original Thirteen. He was an honorable good-natured warrior. And his special talent was that he was the first and greatest _combiner_."

"One of the original Primes was a combiner?" Exclaimed Starscream.

"Yes. And we entrusted him with the pieces of the Star Saber. Nexus Prime divided his body into his five components, each one of them guarding a fragment of the Saber, and they parted from Cybertron, scattering into the galaxies. Only one of them remained here. And he should still be hidden and protected by Vector Sigma. But you'll need the Key to retrieve it."

Megatron was quiet for some minutes, until Shockwave broke the silence.

"So, this 'darkness' that the Covenant of Primus speaks of... the 'evil' that will arrive in a distant future..." The cyclops mech quietly started to say.

"Yes, it speaks of Unicron." Intervened the old Prime.

"But I thought you said that Unicron was defeated that time, with the Star Saber and the Requiem Blaster." Retorted Starscream.

"Defeated, yes. Destroyed, no. He is too powerful to be utterly destroyed. That's why we hid the weapons, but didn't destroy them completely. Unicron can be banished for eons, but he will always come back eventually, and you should be prepared." Explained the Librarian with a grim expression. "Because it is _your_ destiny. Believe it or not, the cybertronian race was created to be guardians and protectors of the balance of this Universe."

"Us? Protectors?" Megatron sneered. "Don't make me laugh." He rose from his chair. "You don't know me. I have destroyed more things than I have saved. I have extinguished thousands of lives and tortured even more. I almost condemned Cybertron to die with the lost of the Allspark! I even tried to destroy that human race that you told us to care about in the Covenant! To destroy their planet... Even this human female that you see there." He pointed to Eleonor with a servo. "I tried to kill her when the only thing she ever did was to help us." He shook his helm. "I am no protector of anything."

Starscream, Soundwave, Shockwave and Blitzwing were taken aback by the sudden confession of their Leader. Specially with the remorseful tone that he had used.

Alpha Trion, on the other hand, kept staring at Megatron with a stern expression for a long moment.

"And now, however, the only things I can see here are loyal soldiers that are willing to serve their master and lead him through the correct path, even when that means to disobey his orders momentarily. And a fragile human being that doesn't even flinch when you are near her." Replied the ancient Prime, his expression softening. "Even our planet is no longer dying."

Megatron froze, fleetingly stunned by the words of the old mech. Turning back, he stared at his soldiers right into their optics. They were looking back at him with a resolute expression. Even the small human seemed ready for anything he commanded.

"Who said you would be alone in this task?" Alpha Trion smiled warmly.

"Do you remember when I told you about not backstabbing you as long as our objectives were aligned? Well, that offer still stands." Smirked Starscream.

"Cybertronian race survival: top priority." Stated Soundwave, his visor flashing brightly with resolve.

"Logic dictates to protect what is rightfully ours." Agreed Shockwave.

"Zhis is still confusing... But one zhing zhat is very clear to me is zhat I don't like zhe idea of zhis... Unicron destroying our home and killing us." Said Blitzwing quietly with his blue face-plates set in a grim expression. "So I vill do vhat eet is necessary to send zhat glitched bastard back to zhe Pit from vhere he shouldn't have get out!" He added, his face-plates turning to the red-visored one. "And zhen ve vill make a party to celebrate eet! Ha, ha, ha!" Chimed in the LED jack-o-lantern face, displaying a wide grin.

"And I know I am just a small human... but if there is any way I can help, I would be glad to do it." Finished Eleonor with a shy smile.

The Decepticon Leader regarded his subordinates in silence for a long moment, and felt a strange feeling of pride warm his cold spark. He was not a Prime, but his soldiers were willing to follow him anywhere. Even if that meant to fight against Unicron himself.

"And you, old mech. Are you willing to help too?" Asked Megatron.

"I am too old for fighting... But I can still be helpful with my knowledge."

"Very well then." Megatron smirked. "There are a lot of things that we need to do, and I will require help. It won't be easy, but we are going to succeed."

The old Librarian looked at megatron in approval and smiled for himself.

"So, where is the Key to Vector Sigma?" Starscream asked, remembering the first thing they needed to look for.

Megatron vented a sigh and his shoulders dropped very slightly.

"Optimus has it." Groaned the Decepticon Leader.

"What?"

"We are going to need to go back to Earth and... ask for his help..." Sighed Megatron, still disbelieving his own words.

"WHAT!"

"I said that it was not going to be easy."

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Sorry for the delay! My muse was on winter vacations, but now, she's back. And this chapter was really difficult to write. I hope I managed to keep everyone more or less in character. And the plot thickens! What do you think about the adventure they have ahead? And they will be visiting the Autobots! Which Decepticons do you think that should compose the team that will accompany Megatron back to Earth? I think he should pick the most tranquil mechs, so that they cause the minimal trouble. Let me know what you think, please!


	12. Departure

Chapter 12: Departure

Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave had returned to Kaon in order to start with the preparations for their visit to Earth. The Nemesis needed to be refueled, the space bridge needed to be prepared with the coordinates, and they also had to select an appropriate crew, gather supplies, etc.

Starscream, Eleonor, Blitzwing and Alpha Trion were still at the Hall of Records, near the main entrance. The ancient Prime didn't have a flying alt-mode, so, they had called Thundercracker to bring a small cargo ship for them, and they were currently waiting for him to arrive.

The old mech was currently staring at the devastated cityscape of Iacon, a expression of sorrow in his usually benevolent face-plates. The city had been once the most important metropolis of Cybertron. But now... it was just a painful reminder of the War.

"Hmm... Alpha Trion, Sir..." Started to say Eleonor. The sorrowful look in the old mech's optics had not gone unnoticed by her, and she was hoping to distract him with a little conversation.

"There is no need to be so formal, little one." He interrupted her, with a kind smile.

"Uh, OK. I was wondering... Are you alright? You have been in stasis for a long time without maintenance." She asked, with sincere concern.

"I will be fine, don't worry about me." He said dismissively. "I'm almost as old as this world, remember?"

"Don't mind her." Intervened Starscream, with a devious smirk. "She worries about everyone and everything."

"Well, someone has to." She shrugged, ignoring the seeker's playful taunts. But it only served to make the seeker smirk even wider.

Alpha Trion smiled faintly at the exchange.

"So, we cybertronians have made contact with this alien species, and forged an alliance with them?" The old mech asked. Blitzwing snorted in the distance. The triple-changer was looking to the cityscape, giving the impression of been lost in his thoughts, but he was clearly paying attention.

"Well, the truth is, that we aren't exactly in good terms with them. We had a little... _rough_ start." Starscream explained. "We kind of... tried to kill each other a couple of times. Also the Autobots got in between..."

"What? You have been waging war against the humans and between yourselves? Things indeed had gone out of control!" The Librarian huffed, indignant.

"It's a very long story, Alpha Trion. You have missed a lot. You would never understand." Starscream replied, with a grim expression. "Ask Soundwave to send you a complete report of what happened. Then, you can judge." Starscream stopped to spare a glance at his human, who was silently sitting on a boulder, listening to the conversation. "And maybe you should also ask the Autobots about their version of the story. Just to be fair."

"I will then." Replied the old Prime, caressing his long beard-like face-plates. "So, if you are not friends with human kind, and human kind equally hates you... What is this little female doing here?"

"She is... my _pet_." Starscream smirked evilly, looking at Eleonor. The young woman just face-palmed and laughed heartily. Of course, there was no way in the Universe for Starscream to admit befriending a lowly organic creature.

"You, bad mannered sparkling!" Alpha Trion used Starscream's momentary distraction to punish the seeker with one of his patented smacks to the helm.

"HEY!" Barked the seeker. "Would you quit doing that! I'm the Decepticon's Second in Command, for Primus' sake! I deserve some respect!"

"Precisely. Respect." Scowled the old mech. "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. And calling a sentient being _pet_ is not respectful."

"Are you planning to teach the Decepticons some manners? You have arrived a little late for that." Starscream huffed. "You should be grateful I respect the original Thirteen Primes enough to not retaliate against a senile old-"

"Thundercracker is here." Blitzwing intervened quietly, a bored expression adorning his blue face-plates. He didn't know he had just saved Starscream from another smack to the helm.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back in Kaon, Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave were orchestrating all the necessary arrangements for the Nemesis' close departure. Soundwave was at the docks, and Megatron and Shockwave were alone at the control room.<p>

"So, how is it going to be, Lord Megatron?" Shockwave asked, unexpectedly. "Should I run some battle scenarios?"

Megatron paused for some seconds, tapping his chin-plates thoughtfully.

"I am going to ask nicely first." Megatron replied coldly. "We left Earth in not too bad terms and having won the War. We have minded our own business for more than three Earth years. And Prime is a prudent mech, but not paranoid. He will give dialog a chance. At least he will listen."

"_Prime_ will listen." Shockwave flickered his single optic. "The rest of his troops, however, are less prone to do so."

"That's why I need to chose wisely the mechs that are going to come along. I want a crew with a cool mind. Reliable mechs that would think it twice before disobeying my orders and giving in to the autobots' taunts and start a skirmish. I want them to keep quiet unless told otherwise."

"That would be quite a feat, considering our past squabbles..." Shockwave shook his helm slightly. "May I suggest some of the mechs of the first team that went to Earth? They already have some experience in that terrain and Earth alt-modes."

"That would be favorable." Megatron nodded. "I was already thinking in Barricade. He can be subtle if he is ordered to."

"But not Brawl, he is too trigger-happy. The same as Blitzwing, one third of the time."

"Starscream and the human. That seeker has survived at least a pair of visits to the Autobot base, I will give him that." Megatron admitted. "And of course, I can't leave his wing mates behind."

"And a medic? Knock Out is usually well-behaved, unless someone scratches his paint. And he is already inclined to human entertainments." Suggested Shockwave.

"Then Breakdown would have to come along too. It would be impossible to separate those two." Replied Megatron. "And I'll need Soundwave and his symbionts."

The Decepticon Leader was in silence for some minutes, considering the list of the mechs that would accompany him back to Earth.

"I wish to go too." Shockwave said suddenly. Megatron was surprised by his request.

"I was planning to leave you here, in charge, while we were out." Said Megatron, adverting his gaze from the terminal he was currently using, and looking back at the cyclops mech.

Shockwave held his gaze for some never-ending seconds.

"I..."

"No." Repeated Megatron, cutting off his Lieutenant.

The cyclops mech looked away, and back to his terminal, resuming his duties for several minutes of awkward silence.

"I was here. In charge of everything during your absence, since you departed from Cybertron in search of the Allspark... Starscream and Soundwave left later, looking for you. For the longest of times they looked for you, but none of them could find you. You were frozen during thousands of years in that Pit forsaken planet... And I wasn't there to help you. I failed." Shockwave shook his helm. "And when they finally found you, it was already too late. I failed a second time..." He hesitated and heaved a sigh "I...I can't fail again. I don't want to fail again." He glanced up and was surprised to find Megatron by his side. His Leader had approached without been noticed.

"You have never failed to me, Shockwave." Megatron placed a servo on Shockwave's shoulder-plates. "Not a single time." The Lieutenant was stunned in silence for a long moment until his Leader spoke again. "Now, look for someone reliable to be left in charge during a couple of days and run some battle scenarios. Just in case."

The Decepticon Leader dedicated one last glance to his stunned Lieutenant and exited the control room. Shockwave was in silence, unable to do anything during several minutes.

"Thank you, Lord Megatron." He whispered mostly for himself, when he managed to come out of his stupor.

* * *

><p>Fortunately, Thundercracker had had the great idea of using Starscream's cargo ship to pick them up. Eleonor had there some of her supplies, and she was currently in her quarters, enjoying a quick meal and a little privacy.<p>

Starscream, Blitzwing and Alpha Trion were at the control bridge with Thundercracker, informing him of the latest news. Well, it was actually more like Starscream debriefing his trine-mate, while the old Prime snooped around the controls and terminals, and the triple changer was comfortably seated on a chair, unusually quiet.

Blitzwing was lost in his own thoughts. Many things had been revealed recently. Sure thing Megatron had not planned to enlighten him about them at that moment, but the outcome of the events had been quite unexpected, and he had learned about it. A serious menace was surely to arrive in the future. When exactly, was still a mystery. But they should be prepared for it, because it posed a great danger for the cybertronian race. And he didn't like the idea of loosing his home planet that he had fought so hard to help conquer.

Yes, he will help to destroy Unicron.

Teaming up with the Autobots, well, that was another story. He didn't like it at all. Thousands of years of war were hard to put aside. And he couldn't stand the humans either.

"May I come in?"

And speaking of humans. Starscream's pet had arrived to the control bridge at that moment.

"Of course." Replied Thundercracker, offering her a servo, and leaving her over the desk, near the main terminal. "I've heard that you had quite an adventure today. Starscream has told me everything. And it has been an honor to meet one of the Original Thirteen." He added, bowing his helm slightly in the old mech direction.

"At least there is one mech with good manners left in this planet!" The old Prime intervened, making Eleonor giggle softly. If the Librarian liked good manners, Thundercracker was just the right mech. The blue seeker was, of course, a strong Decepticon warrior, but he tended to be more honorable than the rest of his faction, and he usually was very polite.

The triple-changer, for his part, was still lost in his thoughts while the rest of the team chatted animatedly. He didn't like humans. They had been a good distraction to keep his mind busy while he had been on Earth, but he didn't like them. And Starscream's pet was no exception. He didn't like her. But still...

…He couldn't stop thinking about the moment he had saved her from falling off the berth. He had done it more in reflex than anything. But still... She had beamed at him. A smile that could have lit up a room. And had thanked him for saving her.

It had been purely a reflex, he kept telling himself. But still... it had felt different. Refreshing. To know that he had just saved a life instead of taking it. Extinguishing enemies was a thrilling experience, nonetheless. But saving a life... had not felt bad at all.

To fight to protect? That sounded so Autobot-like, Blitzwing thought. But he had to admit that the mere thought of fighting with the very Unmaker to protect his fellow Decepticons and his planet, filled him with a strange feeling of rightfulness.

Yes, he could fight for that.

"Blitzwing, are you alright? You have been oddly quiet." Starscream asked suddenly, and it took Blitzwing some seconds to realize he had been addressed.

"Uh... Yes. I was just zhinking." He replied, still a little absently.

Starscream tilted his helm to a side. The triple-changer had been unusually quiet since the discovery of Alpha Trion. He had no problems been quiet, but doing it for so long was strange. Something was troubling him, Starscream was sure.

Sighing internally, he approached to the beige and purple mech.

"Let's talk." Starscream suggested, and motioned to Blitzwing to follow him to another part of the ship. That way they would be able to talk alone without been interrupted.

Long time ago, he wouldn't have cared about what the triple-changer may had in mind. But lately, he had been decided to keep an exemplary behavior as Air commander. And Blitzwing, as a flying mech, was his responsibility too. And, well... discovering how truly alone was the beige and purple mech had also helped to soften his mind.

Alpha Trion and Thundercracker exchanged confused glances as the other two mechs exited the bridge. Eleonor just shrugged.

* * *

><p>"What troubles you?" Asked Starscream, direct to the point, once they entered another room in the ship and the door closed behind them.<p>

Blitzwing was silent for a while, since his cold strategist personality was controlling him, he was more prone to keep his emotions in check.

"I've veen zhinking about vhat Alpha Trion said." Blitzwing said, quietly. Starscream nodded and kept listening. "He said... zhat we were meant to be _protectors_."

The seeker frowned slightly, thinking. The triple-changer, however, took the gesture as a reprimand, and rushed to excuse himself.

"Primus forbid me to sound like an obnoxious Autobot." He said, holding up his servos defensively. "Vut I have noticed zhat zhe mere zhought of fighting to protect somezhing feels different zhan fighting to destroy. I never stopped to zhink about it, and now I realize zhat-"

"Blitzwing!" Starscream exclaimed suddenly. The triple-changer couldn't stop a flinch, fearing that his Commander was enraged by his words. "You are a genius!"

The beige and purple mech flickered his optics in surprise. The last thing he was expecting was a compliment.

"Vhat?"

"You are right, Blitzwing. Terribly right." Said the seeker. "Think about it. Why had the Autobots won most of the battles during this War, even when we were superior in numbers and firepower? Because they fought to _protect_. Not to _destroy_, like us." Starscream was pacing up and down the room, his talons clicking on the metal floor. "And when did we finally won the War? Precisely when we started to fight with the purpose of saving and protecting. We had managed to built a new Allspark and all that we wanted was to save our planet and bring hope to our race."

Blitzwing gasped softly, realizing the truth.

"Alpha Trion is right." Continued the seeker. "The desire to protect is embedded in our code. It gives us strenght in battle, and the will to surpass our enemies. And fighting against Unicron is going to be our final challenge." He finished, his optics flashing brightly with determination.

The triple-changer was silent for a while, thinking about the seeker's words and finding the truth in them.

"I'll keep zhat in mind zhe next time I have to fight." He finally said, smirking very slightly.

"Good job, Blitzwing." Added Starscream, as they exited the room, patting the triple-changer on a shoulder. They headed back to the control bridge.

The beige and purple mech smiled for himself. Today had been a strange day, but he had received several praises about his performance. And that was sufficient to warm up his spark a little.

Starscream, for his part, kept thinking about that last bit of information. The last pieces of his puzzle were slowly falling in place. Everything made sense now. The strongest mechs had always been those who had more to loose. Those who fought not only for their ideals, but to protect something else.

Soundwave was an unbeatable communications specialist and spy master, but his skills in close combat were not to be underestimated either; he fought for his symbionts.

Breakdown, despite his paranoid behaviour, was one of the strongest ground fighters among the Decepticon ranks. He had always fought to protect Knock Out.

Starscream himself was feared by Autobots and Decepticons alike. His mind was as sharp as his aim. He was ruthless and had back-stabbed many mechs in his lust for power in the past. But there were two mechs that he would never betray. His trine-mates. Thundercracker and Skywarp meant everything to him, and he had risked his life for them many times during the War without a second thought.

And Megatron, he was undoubtedly the strongest Decepticon, because had always been High Lord Protector. That's why the Fallen had fooled and poisoned his mind all those years ago. He wanted a strong and dangerous puppet. Who better than the High Lord Protector for that job?

'I have to inform Megatron about this', Starscream thought for himself. 'Hmm and what about Shockwave?', he continued wondering. The cyclops mech was decidedly strong, but who he fought for, that was still a mystery for him.

The seeker was still lost in his thoughts when he reached the control bridge.

Thundercracker bowed his helm slightly in greeting, and sent a questioning ping to Starscream through his trine-bond. The beige seeker replied with a pulse of reassurance and the promise of explaining everything in detail later.

Eleonor just waved happily and smiled warmly. Starscream smirked inwardly. Now he understood why the mere thought of protecting his human from all harm felt so strangely right and soothing.

"Is there... something wrong?" She asked timidly, noticing how Starscream was looking at her.

"Nothing." The beige seeker grinned and shook his helm, coming close to the main terminal and gently nudging her with the back of a claw. "We have arrived." He announced. Looking through the glass, they could see the lights Kaon, piercing the night in the distance.

* * *

><p>Soundwave had been very busy the whole afternoon. Checking the supplies. Making sure that all of the Nemesis systems were alright. Notifying the mechs that had been chosen for the mission, etc.<p>

Fortunately, Laserbeak, Ravage and Frenzy were with him. That way he could be at many places, inspecting several cargo bays at the same time.

::Boss, Starscream's ship has arrived at the dock number seven:: Chirped Frenzy through the comm. link.

::Acknowledged:: Soundwave replied, as emotionless through the link as he was verbally.

The Communications Officer then put in contact with Starscream. He had some orders from Megatron to relay.

::Commander Starscream:: Saluted Soundwave, formalities came first.

::I'm listening, Soundwave:: Replied the Second in Command, already expecting this call. After all, they had a serious business between their servos.

::Megatron's orders: meet with him at the conference room. Purpose: mission briefing. Bring also: Thundercracker and Alpha Trion::

::Should I bring Eleonor too?:: Asked the seeker.

::Not specified::

::Hmm...:: Starscream tapped his chin-plates, thinking. He looked down at Eleonor, still seated on the main terminal of his ship. It had been a long day, and he new that humans didn't had the endurance of cybertronians and needed to sleep more. And she had been yawning frequently by the end of the trip. The ship still had one of its rooms adapted to human use, conveniently sealed and filled with oxygen-enriched air, so that she didn't need the cylinders to breath there. ::Eleonor really could use some rest before leaving for Earth. But I don't want to leave her alone in the ship::

Soundwave stopped to think for a nanoklik, and he came up with a solution.

::Suggestion: Frenzy and Ravage::

::Don't you need them with you for the briefing?::

::Physical presence: not necessary. Briefing: via symbiotic bond::

::That would be perfect, Soundwave:: Said Starscream in relief. Frenzy and Ravage were in the short list of mechs that could be entrusted with his human. Frenzy was small enough for not accidentally squishing her, and ravage was big enough to defend her if it was necessary. ::Thank you::

* * *

><p>"Hi, Ele!" Chirped Frenzy, waving one of his servos. He came riding on Ravage's back.<p>

Eleonor laughed heartily.

"Congratulations, Frenzy. You have been the first one to put me a nick-name." She smiled.

"That's because I have no respect for anyone." He grinned, climbing off the cybertronian panther.

Starscream, Thundercracker, Blitzwing and Alpha Trion were descending the ship's ramp, ready to leave.

"Behave." Warned the beige seeker, looking back at the symbionts and his human.

"Yes, Sir!" Smirked the tiny silver mech, with a smirk that indicated just the opposite.

Starscream shook his helm, starting to think that this had been a bad idea. But it was the only solution, and Soundwave's minions were reliable, most of the time...

* * *

><p>Blitzwing had left. He was no longer required and was officially off-duty until his next shift.<p>

That left Starscream, Thundercracker and Alpha Trion, who were now arriving to the conference room in the Palace of Kaon. Inside, were already waiting Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, Skywarp, Barricade, Breakdown and Knock Out.

"Ah, Starscream. You arrive just in time." Said Megatron. The beige seeker approached to his usual spot, next to the Decepticon Leader. The old Prime remained next to Thundercracker, receiving several curious glances from the mechs who didn't knew him yet.

"All of you have been called here because you have been chosen for a very special mission." Megatron continued. "We are going to pay the Autobots... _a visit_."

Several gasps could be heard in the room, coming from the mechs that had not been informed yet.

"This, however, is not an offensive mission. I do not intent to start a skirmish if it is not necessary. That is why you have been chosen. Because I know that you are capable of keeping a cool mind, have friendly tendencies, don't completely dislike Earth or would not act without my command. Whatever your excuse is, don't pick up a fight without my consent. Is that understood?"

Megatron regarded his troops with a severe glare, and received silent nods from everyone.

"I have some important matters to discuss with Optimus Prime. But I am not a suicide, and I have no intention of visiting a hostile planet seething with Autobots, alone and unarmed. That is why I am bringing the Nemesis and all of you. Just in case our plans fall through. But only in that case." He paused. "We will leave in two joors. Any questions?"

Skywarp rose a servo slowly. The Decepticon Leader nodded to him, giving him permission to speak.

"Who is him?" The black seeker asked, pointing to the old Prime.

"He was one of the archivist of the Hall of Records. We found him in stasis lock today at the ruins of Iacon. He is unarmed and poses no threat. We are bringing him with us to Earth." Megatron explained.

"People just call me the Librarian. Please to meet you." Said the old mech with an affable smile, glad to remain anonymous a little longer. He liked to be respected and treated properly, but he didn't like to attract the attention too much. That was why he had kept his true identity a secret during so many millenia.

"Any more questions?" Megatron asked again, but the rest of his troops shook their helms. "In that case, you are dismissed until the Nemesis departure. Starscream, Soundwave, remain with me for a breem, I still need to finalize some details."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we are going to Earth!" Cheered an over-excited Knock Out, once he and Breakdown were out of the conference room. "Think of all the things we are going to do there!"<p>

"I don't know, Knock Out. This seems like an important mission. Besides, that place would be teeming with Autobots and humans..." Said the blue and grey mech.

"Don't worry, Lord Megatron will be very busy with Optimus. So, that will leave us with nothing better to do. We won't pick up fights with anyone, and everything will be alright!" Replied the red medic, bouncing around his larger partner.

"This is going to be troublesome..." Sighed Barricade, passing beside them.

"Aw, come on, 'Cade. This is going to be fun. You heard what Commander Starscream said. Optimus doesn't mistreat anyone if you come in peace. We can stand a couple of hateful glares in exchange of some fun!" Cheered Knock Out.

"Yeah... Optimus. The rest of his troops can be very trigger happy." Barricade let out another aggravated sigh.

"Oh... and I just had my paint waxed..." Murmured the red medic, with a concerned look.

* * *

><p>Frenzy and Ravage, in the meanwhile, had been quietly listening to the briefing of the mission thanks to Soundwave's feedback. They had been waiting outside Eleonor's quarters, because she wanted to have a bath and needed intimacy.<p>

"Honestly, I will never understand what's with the humans and their strange habits. We don't wear clothes and no one gets hurt by looking at us!" Complained Frenzy. Ravage shrugged in reply, tilting his head.

That was when they heard a scream coming from inside the room. Fearing the worst, they quickly opened the door and rushed in.

Inside, they found Eleonor. She seemed to have came out of the bathtub at that moment, and only had a towel covering her body.

In front of her, perched on the headboard of the bed, was a big mechanical bird, all his metal feathers puffed up in a menacing gesture.

"Laserbeak! How did you get in? Does the Boss knows that you are here?" Said Frenzy in a reprimanding tone that didn't suit him at all. The bird mimic shook his head. "Well, I hope that you understand that Eleonor is an ally, ans she is not to be harmed in any way." Laserbeak nodded, and shook his metal feathers, accommodating them in their normal position against his body.

Eleonor face-palmed. This was going to be an interesting night.

"Can you please get out so that I can dress up?" She sighed.

"Oh for the love of Primus, I will never understand you humans! What's the matter with been naked?"

"Well, it feels uncomfortable to be looked at while been without clothes. We feel... unprotected." She replied, hesitantly.

"As if your clothes served as armor." Frenzy huffed.

"Well then... I give up. We are stupid. But we still don't like it..."

"And we can't be physically attracted to humans either, if that's what bothers you." The small silver mech smirked.

"I know but..." Eleonor was starting to lose her arguments. "I can't forget that you all have photographic memories. You could use the pics as blackmail." She blushed bright red.

Frenzy laughed so hard that he almost fell to the floor.

"Why would I want to do that?" He managed to say once he regained his composure. "Besides, I'm sure that Laserbeak already has some good material."

The bird mimic emitted a shrill caw and puffed up his feathers proudly.

"Oh, for the love of... Primus..." Eleonor face palmed, and picking up her clothes, she hid behind a folding screen, no longer caring about who may be spying.

She came out after a while, wearing a simple pink nightdress, and ignoring Frenzy's triumphant smirk, she proceeded to dry her hair.

"Well, that has been taken care of." She said, when she was satisfied with her hair. A sudden yawn assaulted her. Despite the rough ending, the warm bath had been very relaxing, and it had been a long day with many adventures. "Do you think I could sleep for a while?"

"What? No sleepover party?" Said Frenzy, with feigned indignation.

"Please Frenzy, I am very tired. We puny humans need to recharge more frequently." She begged, putting it in cybertronian terms.

"Alright, alright. But you owe me a party." Frenzy chuckled. "I've got it! We can have a party on Earth. I want to see the faces of Mikaela and Sam, that boy is so easy to freak out! And this time, nobody will help them! Mwahaha!" The small silver mech laughed evilly, and Eleonor couldn't help but smile too. That visit to Earth was going to be very awkward for some mechs and very amusing for other mechs. And Frenzy was clearly decided to be on the last group.

Ravage gave a low content growl, and jumped over Eleonor's bed, decided to recharge on a soft and comfortable mattress that night.

But the bed's legs were not prepared for the weight of the metal panther, and all four of them broke at the same time. The cybertronian cat emitted a surprised hiss as the bed broke with a loud creak and fell to the floor with a thud.

Ravage looked at eleonor and, incredibly, he managed to look sheepish, with his head down and ear-fins lowered. The bed was broken, but the mattress was undamaged.

"Well, I guess that sleeping a little lower tonight won't hurt anyone." She shrugged, trying to remain serious, but she couldn't stop a smile from crossing her features as Ravage cheered up and curled on one side of the bed, making room for her.

* * *

><p><em>[The next morning.]<em>

Starscream had spent the night at his personal quarters in the Palace of Kaon. He was still a little worried about Eleonor, but as a high ranking Decepticon Commander, it was not good to show any kind of soft spots, much less for a human. Besides, Frenzy and Ravage were with her. They would have called him in case of necessity. And she still wore the pendant he gave her. He focused on the incoming signal. It transmitted her position and several vital signs such as temperature and heart rate. And judging by her slow and steady heart rate, she was still asleep.

"Good morning, 'Screamer!" Chirped Skywarp, that had appeared suddenly by his trine-leader.

"Skywarp!" Exclaimed the beige seeker. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't teleport next to me without a warning! I swear to Primus, one of these days I'm going to shoot you in pure reflex! ...And don't call me that!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I won't do it again." The black seeker apologized with a sheepish smile. But it was a blatant lie. He was not sorry, and he will do it again. His trine-leader knew this as a fact.

"I see that you are very happy about visiting Earth so soon." Starscream huffed. This was a very serious mission, but his oblivious brother was more interested in having fun than accomplishing his duties.

"Of course! I need more comics and video-games!" Skywarp replied, barely suppressing his excitement. "By the way, where is little Eleonor? I thought she was with you."

"No. She is sleeping in my ship. I was going to fetch her right now. The Nemesis will leave in ten breems."

"Oh! I'm coming with you then." Said the black seeker.

"Fine, but don't-" Starscream tried to say, but it was too late. This trine-mate literally jumped over him, hugging him close, and with a cracking sound and a purple glow, they were at the docks.

"Here we are!"

"For fragging sake, Skywarp!" Starscream was bristling.

* * *

><p>The doors of Eleonor's quarters opened with a swoosh, and Starscream was frozen in place as he saw the interior.<p>

"What happens?" Whispered Skywarp. His brother had not let him teleport inside the room, fearing that it could had been detrimental for his pet's health. And now Starscream was frozen in place. "Wha-" Skywarp peeked inside the room, pushing the beige seeker aside. "Pfft-" He covered his vocalizer with both servos, trying to muffle a laugh. "Oh, I am _so_ taking pictures of this! Soundwave is going to fry a logic circuit!"

Ravage was recharging on the bed, curled beside Eleonor, who was sleeping in fetal position, with Frenzy snuggled against her lap. And Laserbeak was nested over Eleonor's long curly hair, resting his head on the woman's shoulder. And they were all sleeping over a mattress that was directly laid on the floor, because the bed was broken.

"Eleonor?" Asked Skywarp, suppressing a giggle.

"Hmmm..." The young woman murmured, and tried to get up, but found that she couldn't, because something had her hair pinned.

Laserbeak hissed and stirred, feeling Eleonor shift.

"Holy frag! Since when do seekers have stealth mode?" Frenzy exclaimed suddenly, finishing to pull Eleonor out of her dreams.

Ravage gently nuzzled Laserbeak off of Eleonor's hair, and the young woman straightened, coming to a sitting position on the mattress. Looking around, she noticed Soundwave's symbionts next to her, Starscream looking at them with a dumbfounded expression, and Skywarp with a devious smirk.

"So... what happened last night?" Asked Skywarp, still smirking.

"Humm... I'm not completely sure..." Murmured Eleonor, still half asleep.

Laserbeak emitted a shrill caw, and jumped over Eleonor, perching himself over her shoulders, and started to peck at her hair, messing it even more.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Starscream, Skywarp, Eleonor and Soundwave's symbionts were entering the Nemesis, that was at the dock number one. The young woman looked at the wide halls and corridors. She remembered well the interiors of the Decepticon flagship.<p>

"Commander Starscream." Saluted Knock Out, who was at that moment speaking with Breakdown and Barricade.

"Hello-." Starscream greeted back.

"Knock Out! We are going to Earth!" Cheered Skywarp suddenly, cutting off whatever Starscream could have said after his greeting.

"Hell yeah!" Knock Out chirped back, raising a fist triumphantly in the air.

Breakdown and Barricade let out an aggravated sigh at the same time, and Starscream just face-palmed.

"This is madness. I'm going to the main bridge." Said the beige seeker, resuming his way with Eleonor.

"Is something wrong, Sir?" Asked Eleonor when they were out of audio range. She was an expert by now at reading the seeker's body language. His shoulder-plates seemed a bit dropped, and his wings were hanging lower than usual. He was worried about something. Starscream vented a sigh very slowly.

"A couple of Decepticons visiting the Autobot Base in a harmless cargo ship is very different from the Leader of the Decepticons and his army visiting the Autobot Base in a battle cruiser." He said after a while. "Something could go wrong. A stray shot, an old squabble resurfacing, a misunderstood glare... and everything could turn into hell. We must be very cautious in this mission. Megatron wishes to try the diplomatic way first." He paused. "Half of the crew still don't know what we are looking for or who really is the Librarian. And the other half is looking forward to be on Earth to organize a party."

Eleonor dedicated Starscream a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry. We have gone this far and we are not going to falter now. Everything will be alright, you'll see." She smiled warmly. Starscream couldn't help but let a small smirk crept into his features. His pet had a special talent cheering people up. "Even if I have to kill Optimus with my own hands and rip off the Key from his cold off-lined servos!" She added, trying her best evil pose and evil laughter.

And the beige seeker couldn't help but openly laugh at that.

"I'm sending that clip to Optimus. Maybe then he will only put _you_ in the brig and let the rest of us visit peacefully his base." Intervened Shockwave, who had appeared suddenly out of nowhere. Eleonor flinched and shrank in her spot, for Starscream's amusement.

"You are the strategist, Shockwave. If that translates into higher success probabilities for this mission, don't hesitate to do it." Replied the seeker, trying very hard to keep a straight face.

"I'm running numbers." Said Shockwave, his single optic didn't betray any hint of been jocking.

"Nooo..." Eleonor wailed theatrically.

* * *

><p>Only Megatron and Alpha Trion were at the bridge at that moment. The Decepticon Leader had asked the old Prime to tell him more about the beginnings of the cybertronian civilization. The Librarian was more than pleased to comply. He loved to tell stories.<p>

The door to the bridge opened with a swoosh, revealing Shockwave, Starscream and Eleonor.

"Soundwave and Thundercracker are at the control tower, clearing everything for the Nemesis' departure. They will arrive soon." Announced the cyclops mech, as he made his way towards his terminal.

Starscream did the same, leaving Eleonor over the desk. She seated with her legs crossed near the terminal, watching the seeker, who was initializing the ship's navigation systems.

"So, we are going to your planet." Said slowly the ancient Prime, in his characteristic affable voice, running a servo down his long beard-like face-plates. Eleonor nodded with a smile. "How is Earth?"

The young woman was thinking in silence for some seconds before answering.

"Earth is very difficult to describe in few words." She said after a while. "It is very different from your planet. On Cybertron, everything gives the impression of having been made to last forever. On Earth, everything seems fragile in comparison." She explained. "But it is full of contrasts. Full of colors. Full of different landscapes. The sky is never the same shade. The sea has never the same waves. There are valleys and plains. Mountains and marine trenchs. Places where water is always frozen. Places where it never rains. There are forms of life that can only be seen with the best microscopes. And there are others bigger than most of the cybertronians. Life grows and dies with every season, it is fragile, but tenacious at the same time. When an organism dies, its body decomposes in its basic molecules, so that they can be used then by other organisms to grow."

"Woah." Exclaimed the old mech, who clearly didn't expect such a descriptive answer. "It sounds like an interesting place." Eleonor nodded. "And how are the humans?"

"Again, small and fragile compared to cybertronians." She smiled. "Humans are a young species. We are capable of great evil and great good. We live short lives, but unfortunately, we usually don't truly appreciate what we have until we lose it. Some humans hate what they don't know, while others live to discover new things. We can hate, and we can love. We can destroy, and we can care. We can hold grudges, and we can forgive."

"I see..." The old mech smiled softly. "You are not so different from us then." He added. "And who are you?"

"Me?" Said Eleonor, a little lost, tilting her head to a side.

"Yes, you." Repeated the old mech. "I am the Librarian, after all. I enjoy knowing things. And I have noticed that Decepticons are clearly not very fond of humans, speaking in general terms. But they permit you to stay here. You must be special then."

"I am not special." She replied awkwardly. "I don't know... I'm just an ordinary human..."

"Don't worry." Alpha Trion smiled, seen how she fidgeted. "I'll just have to ask the other mechs around."

Starscream, for his part, was listening to their conversation while he typed in his terminal. 'Oh, you have no idea of how special you are, Eleonor', he thought for himself.

"Hmm... Alpha Trion..." Said Eleonor shyly. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Replied the old Prime. After all, he had been practically questioning the poor human. She was in silence for a while, gathering her thoughts before speaking.

"Is future irrevocably written?" She asked, with a grim expression. Starscream stopped abruptly his typing and looked down at her. "Are our choices really ours? Or we walk preordained paths?"

The old Prime locked his gaze on her for a long minute, as if he was staring into her soul. Eleonor, however, kept a resolute expression, decided to get an answer for the question that had been plaguing her mind since the discovery of the Covenant of Primus.

"Eleonor." Starscream intervened suddenly, and using her name was a sign that he was been very serious. "Asking a Prime about his gifts is very impolite. Besides, I am sure that he can't reveal anything, because he could compromise the future."

"I-I am sorry..." She apologized immediately, lowering her gaze. Starscream rarely reprimanded her.

"It's alright, earthling." Said the old Prime, his expression softening. "I guess that discovering the Covenant of Primus can be a little shocking. Specially for the likes of you." Alpha Trion took a seat on a nearby chair, his joints hissing in protest. "The flux of time is a complex matter, even for me. All I can see are glimpses, fragments of past and future. Things that don't make any sense, at least when I see them. Only when the time comes, I can realize what they really meant."

Eleonor kept staring at the venerable Prime with wide eyes.

"But I have realized one important thing in my life." Continued Alpha Trion. "One can only look into the future within a _limited range_. The further you try to look, the more blurry it gets. And I can't see the future of single individuals. I only see important events that can change the destiny of many beings. Great crossroads. Decisive choices." He tried to explain. "For example, I could see that there was going to be a war, but I didn't know against who. I could see that humans were going to be important in the future, but I didn't know why. I could see that our race was going to be at risk, but I couldn't see if we succeeded." He paused and dedicated Eleonor an affable smile, nudging her gently with a finger. "So, no. Your future is _not_ written. Your choices are _yours_ only."

The young woman was in silence for a long moment, her expression filled with gratitude as she looked at the ancient Prime.

"Thank you." She simply said, unable to form any other coherent sentence. Starscream smiled inwardly, secretly feeling relieved too.

The doors of the main bridge opened again, this time to reveal Soundwave and Thundercracker, accompanied by the rest of the crew.

"Everything is ready to leave, Lord Megatron." The blue seeker informed.

"Start the engines." Said the Decepticon Leader, intertwining his servos together. "We are leaving for Earth."

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Woah, this chapter came out longer than expected. Too much conversation, I am sorry about that. But it had very funny moments (Eleonor sleeping with Soundwave's minions) and beautiful speeches (Starscream discovering about their role as protectors and Eleonor describing Earth and human kind), at least in my humble opinion. I promise the next chapter will be very interesting! They will arrive to Earth! How will the Autobots react? What will Optimus think? Will Sunstreaker and Sideswipe pull a prank on anyone? Will Sam die from a heart attack? Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions!


	13. Earth

Chapter 13: Earth

The Nemesis had a built-in space-bridge, so, it could warp from Cybertron to Earth without the use of external space-bridges. When they were at a safe distance from Cybertron, Soundwave entered the coordinates, and in a few seconds the star-ship was engulfed by a brilliant blueish-white light, arcs of energy dancing around its edges.

And that was all that it took.

Glancing through the windows, Eleonor could recognize again familiar constellations in the firmament. And Earth was visible in the distance, like a blue and white marble suspended in a sea of darkness and lights.

Cybertronian technology never ceased to amaze her.

"Soundwave, put in contact with the Autobot Base." Megatron ordered, and took a seat in front of the main terminal. It took several minutes, but finally, the video feed came to life, revealing the Autobot Leader, his face-plates set to a deadly serious expression.

"Megatron. It's been a while." The voice of the Autobot Leader was as serious as his glare.

"Indeed it has." Agreed Megatron, intertwining his claws, a small smirk creeping into his features. "How have you been?"

"I've been fine. And you?" Replied Optimus, deciding to play along with Megatron and his oddly polite conversation.

"Pretty well, at least until the human arrived." Said Megatron. "I have to admit that she has a special talent to make things get... _interesting_."

"Eleonor? Is she alright?" Optimus looked concerned.

"Oh, for Primus' sake." Megatron huffed. "You, fleshling. Come here and say hello." He commanded in a harsh tone. Starscream brought her to the main terminal, and she looked to the Autobot Leader through the video feed.

"Hi, Optimus. I'm fine." She said with a sheepish smile.

"Do I have to squish her to make it more believable?" Asked Megatron grumpily.

"That won't be necessary." Optimus replied quickly, risking a small smirk. "Why are you here, Megatron?" He asked, back to seriousness.

"We need to talk." Megatron replied seriously.

Optimus was shocked in silence for some brief seconds.

"You have came all the way here, with the _Nemesis_, just to... _talk_?" Said Optimus, shaking his helm in disbelief. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"Starscream came here alone, _in peace_, and he got a scorched wing, and he is faster than me. I am not risking my integrity, thank you very much. I come with a small team and my warship."

"What do you want?" Asked Optimus, warily.

"I want to _talk_ with you. Don't make me repeat myself."

"Excuse me if I find it hard to believe." Optimus narrowed his optics to a thin sapphire line.

"Look. One: I had the opportunity to finish you three years ago and I didn't. And I have not changed my mind so soon. Two: I have Cybertron. Why would I want a stupid resource-less planet like Earth? Three: I don't give a frag about humans. Four: If I wanted to attack you, why spoil a surprise attack calling you first, giving away my position, my ship and my forces?" Megatron snapped back, tired of been polite. "Should I go on?"

The Autobot Leader sighed and pinched his nasal-bridge, a gesture that he had picked up from humans.

"You still are not allowed to be on this planet. It is not our decision. The human governments would not agree with the idea."

"Easy. Don't tell them." Megatron shrugged.

"It is not that easy. Their scanners and satellites will pick you the moment you approach the atmosphere." Said Optimus.

"Did you forget the fact that I kept the Nemesis hidden in that planet for almost a _year_?" Megatron chuckled. "They won't see us coming, I assure you."

"And when you are here, what?"

"I'll leave my ship in your parking lot, what else?"

"This is going to give me problems with the human authorities." Optimus sighed.

"We could always try the other way. We go fetch you, and we speak aboard the Nemesis." Megatron smirked evilly. "If that makes you more comfortable."

Optimus seemed unconvinced either way. The Decepticon Leader awaited in silence.

Eleonor timidly rose a hand and looked up to Megatron.

"What do you want, human?" Megatron growled.

"May I suggest something?" She asked meekly.

"Speak."

"The Autobot Base has the status of an embassy. Optimus should be able to bring there whoever he wants. As if it were a piece of Cybertron. He shouldn't have to explain anything to the local authorities." Eleonor recalled.

"Is that so?" Megatron said in disbelief.

"Human terminology confuses me." Optimus admitted. "Please, Prowl, check that information in the legal property documents of this base and its lands."

The Autobot Second in Command was in silence for some minutes, checking the legal documents.

"It's true, Optimus." Said the serious voice of Prowl off the screen.

"Ah, the trickery of human fine print." Megatron chuckled. "So, what do you decide, Optimus?"

"Do I really have a choice?" Optimus asked with a grim tone.

"_No_." The Decepticon Leader smirked. "But I feel generous. I'll let you decide the terms."

"Fine." Optimus nodded, and was some seconds in silence, thinking. "The Nemesis will land next to our base, and will not move until you leave. You won't be allowed to leave our base or our airspace. You'll have to give me the list of you team members. And, of course, you'll have to agree to a ceasefire. If you break any of these rules, we will use whatever means are necessary to stop you."

"I hope that that ceasefire works _both_ ways." Pointed out Megatron.

"It will." Optimus nodded. "Will your forces be up to it?"

"They have been specially selected for that purpose." Megatron nodded. "So, do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal." Optimus agreed after some seconds.

"Excellent."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this, Optimus?" Prowl never questioned Optimus' decisions. This time, however, he couldn't help the pressing urge to ask. The blue and red mech was in silence for some seconds before answering.<p>

"No." Optimus shook his helm. "But just in case something happens, I prefer to have the Decepticons here, were we can intervene quickly, than on the other side of the globe."

"That's... another way to put it."

"Megatron has not tried anything dishonest since he left Earth, and has given me no reasons to distrust him. However, I am no suicide either. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not letting my guard down." Optimus explained. "Having a pair of seekers around is far different from having a whole Decepticon team and a battle cruiser. We must be cautious."

Prowl nodded and was lost in his thoughts for some minutes before speaking again.

"What would Megatron possibly want to speak with you about? If that's true, of course." Prowl wondered.

"We will find out soon." Replied Optimus, and after that, he was in silence for a while, his gaze fixated in a distant point, lost in his thoughts. The memories of the War still echoed in his processors, and sometimes they made him doubt about his ability as Autobot Leader. "Did I do well in accepting Megatron's terms?" He wondered, in a grim tone.

Prowl stopped typing in his terminal, recognizing Optimus' distant tone. He was not speaking about today. He was speaking about that time, more than three years ago.

"Even I have to admit that it was not the best outcome of the War for the Autobots, but it was the best for the cybertronian race as a whole and for our planet. Cybertron is no longer dying away, despite been under Decepticon rule." Prowl admitted. "The most important thing is that it was an _end_ for the War. Some of us would have fought until our last circuit was crushed, but others were just _tired_. So tired of endless battles, losses and suffering. On both sides." He added, lowering his voice. "Besides, Earth is not so bad after all. It's a good second home." Prowl let the briefest ghost of a smile cross his features very briefly. He had never been very prone to show any emotion, but Optimus needed some reassurance.

"I thought that you hated humans." Optimus returned the brief smile, feeling better after hearing his Second in Command's encouraging words.

"_Hate_ is such a strong word. They can be obnoxious and stubborn creatures at times. For not mentioning highly illogical and a little annoying... But I do not hate them."

"So, are you reconsidering working with Mearing?" Optimus asked. Charlotte Mearing was the Director of National Intelligence of the United States. A strong and independent woman, very capable and confident of herself, but extremely overbearing, controlling and impatient about her duties.

"Not in a million of stellar cycles. She is _worse_ than Megatron." Prowl quickly replied, and Optimus tried very hard to keep a straight face. "Anyway, speaking of Governments. Are you going to tell them about the Decepticons paying us a visit?"

"No. Not for the moment." Optimus shook his helm. "Only the N.E.S.T. members will know. The Government will find out eventually, but I was hoping that by the time that happens, the Decepticons will be gone again." Explained Optimus. "And they will only know because they will see the Decepticon ship in our base. Their arrival and departure from Earth will by clouded by Soundwave, I am sure of it."

"That mech creeps me out, Ah tell ya." Intervened a new voice. Jazz had arrived to the communications room of the Autobot base. "Ah had just received yer comm., Boss'Bot."

"Good, we have some preparations to do, and a whole base to inform about the matter at hands." Said Optimus.

* * *

><p>Sheltered by the night, the Nemesis approached to Earth. Making a slow entry in the atmosphere prevented the ship of glowing like a comet and betray its position. And to cap it all, Soundwave had had the precaution of hacking the artificial satellites of that half of the globe, effectively blinding the human surveillance.<p>

The roaring sound of inhumanely huge engines tearing the silence of the barren landscape was the only thing that signaled the arrival of the Nemesis in the last hours of the night.

Optimus was standing outside the base, accompanied by Prowl, Jazz, Ironhide, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. The rest of his troops had assumed defensive positions in the nearest buildings and hangars. And the N.E.S.T. members were in the most heavily armored bunkers. Every precaution was small against the infamous Decepticon flagship.

Finally, the ominous shadow of the massive battle cruiser came to a halt, its support points burying in the desert ground and engines humming lower until they completely stopped.

The sun was peeking behind the horizon, its first rays of sunlight casting a gradient of reds and oranges over the terrain. The main entrance ramp of the Nemesis descended, and the imposing figure of the Decepticon Leader appeared, disembarking from his ship, followed by his small team.

The group of Decepticons approached to the awaiting Autobots, slowly, but unwavering. Their optics locked onto their old enemies, never loosing sight of each other, sensors tuned to the maximum, scanners sharpened.

And finally, they stopped at a prudent distance of about fifteen metres. Megatron stood proudly, flanked by Soundwave and Shockwave, who seemed impassive and emotionless. Starscream stood menacingly, flanked by Thundercracker, who was watching everyone with an uninterested expression and Skywarp, who had a devious smirk. Behind them were Knock Out, who was looking at everything in excitement, Breakdown, who was stiffly looking at the Autobots, and Barricade, who seemed annoyed with the whole situation.

"Megatron." Saluted the Autobot Leader after a long minute of exchanging glares.

"Optimus." Saluted back the Decepticon Leader, his glare never softening.

A small awkward silence followed.

"Aren't you missing some of your troops and a human?" Prowl observed, nonchalantly.

"They are still waiting in the ship, just in case someone decided to open fire on us." Replied Starscream, locking his gaze onto the Autobot Second in Command.

"How considerate of ya." Intervened Jazz.

"I could had always used the human as a living shield, do you prefer it that way?" Retorted the beige seeker, growling dangerously and lowering his wings in a threatening pose.

"Starscream." Megatron calmly warned, not even raising his voice. The seeker reduced his sulking to glaring. Prowl and Jazz also stopped their complaints, after receiving a warning glare from the Autobot Leader.

"You can call them here if you wish, Megatron." Suggested Optimus, his deep baritone voice as regal and calm as always.

The Decepticon Leader used his comm. link to address the rest of his troops, and a minute later, the ship's entrance ramp descended again. This time, a tall old mech made his way slowly to the group of awaiting Autobots and Decepticons, flanked by Soundwave's symbionts and a human female.

Laserbeak flew graciously through the morning breeze and landed over his master's shoulder-plates, puffing his metal feathers proudly before flattening them again to their normal position. Eleonor, watching the tense stances of the mechs around her, didn't know where she should position herself. So, she finally opted for remaining beside Ravage and Frenzy. The old Librarian, however, seemed oblivious to the stiff expressions of the mechs around him, and approached to the blue and red Leader.

"The Librarian?" Asked Optimus in disbelief. The Autobot Leader had worked at the Hall of Records for a long time before the War, and he remembered the old mech.

"Greetings, young Optimus." He said with his trademark affable smile.

"I thought that you had died." Confessed the younger Prime.

"Apparently not. Megatron found me in stasis at the ruins of Iacon. You must thank him for that." Explained the old mech. Megatron snorted slightly in annoyance.

"That is... a big surprise." Optimus was honestly and pleasantly surprised. It didn't sound like Megatron to do that kind of things. At least the Megatron that he had known during the War. Definitely, his brother had changed, and he was gradually turning to be the old Megatron that he remembered from before the War. The true High Lord protector.

Glancing down to Eleonor, Optimus caught sight of her relaxed stance. She was not afraid to be surrounded of Decepticons, and she certainly didn't show any sign of having been mistreated.

"I see that you have grown to be a fine Leader for your people." Said the old mech.

"I try to do my best every day, with all my spark." Optimus nodded, solemnly.

"You should really listen to what Megatron has to say. He brings important news." The Librarian said calmly, caressing his long beard-like face-plates.

"I am listening." Optimus turned to look at Megatron, his optics narrowing slightly.

"In private." Megatron pointed out.

"So that you can back-stab Optimus without any interference? I highly doubt that." Intervened Ironhide, tired of keeping up appearances and giving in to his grouchy nature.

"That is not your decision." The Librarian frowned at the weapons specialist.

"You don't know who you are speaking to, old mech." Snapped the black mech growling low.

"No, _you_ don't know who you are speaking to." Retorted back the old mech, emphasizing his point with one of his trademark smacks to the helm. The loud clang echoed through the cold morning desert breeze, and almost everymech stiffened in reflex.

The grouchy weapons specialist was stunned in silence, his expression a mix between surprise, outrage, disbelief and suppressed murderous intentions.

Starscream made a great effort in keeping a straight face, while internally taking note of Ironhide in the list of mechs that had received a smack to the helm from the ancient Prime. Currently, it only had Megatron, Ironhide and himself, but he was sure that the list was going to grow exponentially pretty soon.

"Well, that was more effective than Ratchet's wrenches." Murmured Sunstreaker, making the Autobot medic glare at him.

"Can we just... calm down and think this through, carefully?" Intervened Prowl, in his cold and calm tone.

"Megatron." Optimus said, attracting his former enemy's attention. "I agree to speak to you in private in one of our hangars." The Decepticon Leader smirked triumphantly. "But we both will be unarmed."

Megatron stopped smirking and locked gazes with Optimus. He had that determined look in his azure optics. He was serious about it.

"As if I needed weapons to kill you." The Decepticon Leader snorted, and shifted and readjusted the armor plates in his right arm, detaching his fusion cannon and handing it to Shockwave. Then, he did the same with his left arm, disassembling his blade and handing it to Soundwave.

Optimus did the same, dismounting his blasters and swords, handing them to Ironhide.

"Over here." Said Optimus, pointing to one of the empty hangars of his base. Megatron nodded, and walked beside him, heading for the building.

The rest of their respective troops watched them disappear behind the heavy doors. After that, they resumed their glaring contest.

Everything fell into an awkward silence for long several minutes, until Sunstreaker and Sideswipe burst suddenly in giggles, breaking the seriousness of the moment.

"And what now?" Barked Ironhide.

"N-nothing, 'Hide." Managed to say Sideswipe, between giggles. "Skywarp just sent us the result of one of our pranking ideas on the Decepticon side. You know, we exchanged some ideas on his last visit."

"Wait." Exclaimed suddenly Thundercracker. "The prank with the feathers?"

"Yes!" Exclaimed Skywarp, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker at the same time.

"Skywarp, I spent three joors picking feathers out of my joints and air-intakes. Three. Slagging. Joors." Thundercracker's voice was deadly cold. "Are you telling me that it was your doing, but their idea?"

"Ahem, yes." Admitted the black seeker sheepishly.

"I am not going to jeopardize this mission right now by shooting those two pranksters, but you are _oh so dead_ when this is finished." Thundercracker almost growled. And he never growled.

"I empathize with you, Thundercracker. These twins pulled the same prank on me." Intervened Prowl.

Starscream relaxed his stance the slightest. It seemed that both sides were reluctant to start another skirmish.

"So, who gets to inherit Megatron's fusion cannon when Optimus is done with him?" Asked the beige seeker, smirking.

Shockwave gave him a withering look.

Meanwhile, behind them, Breakdown was making a huge effort in not squirming on his spot.

"They are all looking at me." He whispered to Knock Out.

"They are looking at all of us, sweetspark." The red medic replied, with a smug grin. "After all, we have been battling against each other for a long time." Breakdown seemed to calm down a little. "Come on." He added, and walked cautiously to the front, stopping beside Ravage.

"Knock Out." Hissed Ratchet, as he caught sight of the red medic.

"Hi, Ratchet." Saluted the Decepticon medic with his trademark smug grin.

"You know each other?" Asked Eleonor, who had been very quiet until then.

"Yes, from the medical academy." Replied Ratchet. "But unlike me, that wannabe-physician only does his work because he revels in other people's agony."

"So, what's the difference again?" Sunstreaker piped in, making even Ironhide snort a laugh.

Knock Out's grin couldn't get smugger.

"And what side are you two in, you pranking glitches?" Ratchet huffed.

"Aw, come on, Optimus told us to be nice." Sideswipe whined.

"So... if we can't shoot each other or maintain a civilized conversation... what can we do to pass the time?" Asked Skywarp.

"Well... we could go racing to the salt flats... that place is within the Base's lands." Suggested Sunstreaker.

"Woohoo! Now you are speaking my language!" Knock Out cheered and dropped into his flawless Aston Martin DB9 alt-mode. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe did the same, sporting identical Lamborghini Aventador alt-modes, one golden and the other silvery, revving their engines in excitement.

"Oh, you have changed your alt-modes!" Exclaimed Eleonor, watching the twins.

"Yes, it's the last Lamborghini model! Aren't we sweet?" Replied Sunstreaker, his engines purring.

"You can be sweet, but I'm _fabulous_!" Added Knock Out.

"Show off." Huffed Barricade, crossing his arms over his chest-plates.

"Wait, are you seriously going to the salt flats to race?" Barked Ironhide.

"Why not? We do it every morning. The only difference is that today we have more participants!" Replied the silvery Lamborghini. "Besides, we are not breaking any rule, and you know it!"

Revving his engine, Sideswipe sped off, followed by his brother and the Decepticon medic.

"Would you care to grant me a rematch, Autobug?" Said Barricade, unexpectedly, dropping into his police car Ford Mustang Saleen alt form. "This time without pesky humans bothering us." His engine purred teasingly.

Bumblebee frowned and gave a low series of beeps and clicks. He transformed into his Chevy Camaro alt form and revved his engine, accepting the challenge. The police car laughed cruelly, and sped in the same direction that the other participants had followed, with Bumblebee trailing close behind.

"No fair! I can't race in my jet mode on the ground!" Wailed Skywarp.

"Who says you can't?" Frenzy Piped in. "Have you ever tried how fast can you go on your landing gear without taking off? You could even invent a new racing discipline." The small silver mech suggested.

Skywarp hummed, tapping his chin-plates, actually considering the idea.

"Don't you even think about that! Not on my sight!" Growled Starscream. "That's undignified for a seeker!"

"Don't be such a killjoy, 'Screamer!" Whined the black seeker. "I'm still going to do it when you don't look..." He murmured.

Eleonor tried to suppress a smile, and turned to look at the Librarian, who had been very quiet since the faction leaders had abandoned the group. He was staring into the horizon, with a distant look in his optics.

"Are you alright, Librarian?" She asked softly.

"Yes..." He replied absently. "I was just... learning things about your planet..." He explained. Eleonor gave him with a confused look. "I have discovered the Internet."

"Oh, my... Primus..."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the nearest hangar, Optimus had finished reviewing the data-chip that Megatron had brought for him. On it, he had noted all the recent discoveries, from detailed scans of the Covenant of Primus to the recent revelations from the Librarian.<p>

"The Librarian is one of the Thirteen..." Optimus murmured, in astonishment. "I didn't know..."

"Well, that's an interesting piece of information, but I am more concerned about the whole 'Unicron paying us a visit' matter."

"Of course." Agreed Optimus, back to business, reading again the transcriptions of the Covenant relating the dark menace.

"And we still don't know why, but it was written that we should protect human kind too. That they were going to be important in the future, or something like that." Added Megatron. "Ironic, isn't it?"

Optimus regarded his former enemy with a sympathetic look. Before him was no longer the ruthless warlord of the Decepticons. He was again his old brother. The one that ruled beside him in their old planet and shared his hopes about the future. His worries about their race. The one that usually stopped to share an energon cube with him and speak about their duties after their shifts ended.

"What happened to you, Megatron?" He asked, all seriousness. Megatron didn't had to ask to know what he was referring to.

"The Fallen happened." The Decepticon Leader replied. "But that doesn't change anything."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I do not remember how much he influenced me. Which ones were my decisions and which ones were his." Megatron shook his helm. "It doesn't matter now. I did terrible things. No one is going to forgive me, and I do not expect them to do it." He looked right into Optimus' azure optics. "But _this_, I can do right. It is not a matter of factions anymore. Our whole race is in danger, Cybertron is in danger. Even your beloved Earth." Megatron sighed. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I need your help."

Optimus gave a hint of a smile.

"We cannot change the past, but we can work for a better future." He said.

Megatron smirked in reply.

"Who writes your scripts?"

The Autobot leader openly smiled at that. Megatron's sarcastic sense of humor was intact after all those stellar cycles.

"Actually, was Miss Eleonor who gave me that piece of advice, some time ago." Replied Optimus.

"Yes, it sounds like her." Megatron smirked. "I have to admit that she gives good advices, to be a puny human. Don't tell anyone, though."

"I won't." Optimus shook his helm and hid a smile. "So, back to business. The Requiem Blaster and The Star Saber."

"The Blaster is located. The hard part is the Saber. It was divided into five pieces and scattered across the galaxies. The first one is on Cybertron. But it is protected by Vector Sigma." Megatron explained, in a quick summary of what Optimus had already read.

"That is why you are here. You need _the Key_." Finished Optimus.

"Precisely." The Decepticon Leader nodded.

"I don't have it."

"..."

A very long and very awkward silence followed the Autobot Leader's confession.

"What do you mean by 'I don't have it'?" Megatron managed to say, after taking a couple of deep air intakes, trying to calm down. "Did you loose it? Was it destroyed? Did you give it to somebody else?"

"It is in Cybertron." Replied Optimus, nonchalantly.

Megatron's right optic twitched.

"Are you telling me that I have came all the way down to Earth for nothing? That the item I was looking for has been in Cybertron all this time?" The Decepticon Leader was about to strangle his former enemy.

"Yes."

"Give me the coordinates. You don't have to worry any longer about us been on your precious Earth. We are leaving." Megatron replied in a tone that could have made energon and blood freeze in lines and veins.

"I'm going with you." The Autobot Leader said suddenly. Megatron stopped dead and looked back at Optimus. He had that determined look in his azure optics.

"No."

"You need me to retrieve the Key." Optimus frowned.

"What's so hard about giving me the coordinates?" Megatron growled, coming closer to the blue and red mech and looming over him in a menacing gesture.

"_Omega Supreme_ has the Key." Revealed Optimus. Megatron's optics widened. "So, unless you wish to risk a fight with an Autobot that is almost as big as the Nemesis, I'd suggest you to take my offer, and let me accompany you. Omega will listen to me, and we will be able to solve this problem without risking lives. Decepticon lives, if I may observe."

The Decepticon Leader howled in frustration.

"You are serious, aren't you?" Megatron was bristling. And Optimus still had that determined look in his optics. "You are insane! I can't guarantee your safety in a planet full of Decepticons!"

"You managed to do it with a human, why not with me?" Optimus shrugged.

"That's different! She is small and does not have spark signature to betray her position!"

"Then, I will not go alone. I'll bring some of my soldiers as protection, to discourage any resentful mech from attacking us."

"You have the worst ideas, Optimus. I honestly don't know why you kept gaining the upper servo all those years of war." Megatron snapped. "You... you... arhg! I can't even come up with a decent insult! I'm out of here." He yelled, and stormed out of the hangar.

Optimus hurried to follow him.

* * *

><p>Outside, what remained from the group of Autobots and Decepticons were looking at their faction leaders in several degrees of astonishment. They had been very worried since they had heard the frustrated howl of the Decepticon Leader. But both of them had came out of the hangar <em>unharmed<em>.

"Well, it seems that I won't be inheriting that fusion cannon today." Starscream said with a devious smirk, earning another murderous glare from Shockwave.

"Thanks Primus. I won't have to repair anyone today." Added Ratchet.

"The day is far from ending." Added Prowl quietly.

"Don't get too comfortable." Barked Megatron, once he arrived near the rest of his mechs. "We are leaving."

"What? So soon? But we have just arrived!" Whined Skywarp.

"Megatron, please." Said Optimus, his tone firm and unwavering. "Reconsider it."

"There's nothing to reconsider! Autobots and Decepticons teaming up and working together? That madness will never work!" Megatron growled at the blue and red Prime. "And where the _frag_ are the rest of my troops?" The Decepticon Leader was bristling as he turned to regard what was left of his team with a withering look.

"Huh... racing, my Lord." Replied Starscream, taken aback by his Leader sudden surge of rage.

"But they are already coming back, I called them via comm. link." Added Shockwave, efficient as always.

It was not long until a group of five cars came into view, engines revving and roaring. When they arrived to the group of awaiting Autobots and Decepticons, they could notice that their colors had changed. Now, they were almost completely white. Only some parts of their upper hoods and roofs resemble a little their original colors.

"My beautiful cherry-red paint-job! All ruined and covered in dust!" Wailed Knock Out, transforming back into mech form. He shook his frame, white dust and salt coming out of his chassis. "This is going to take forever to clean out of my joints and cogs!"

Knock Out was fuming, but Breakdown was secretly amused. They way in which his red partner had shaken all his armor plates, making the dust flew in a small cloud, had been extremely _cute_. He should make sure that the red medic got dusted more often.

"At least you didn't end up in a pile of photosynthetic organisms! I think my transforming gears are stuck!" Complained Barricade, still in car form.

"Aw, 'Cade, that's the advantage of knowing the terrain!" Sideswipe said smugly, transforming back to mech form at the same time as his twin brother.

"But I must admit that it was worth it! _I won_! Hah!" Said the police car, proudly.

"Yes, you've won an Autobot insignia!" Cheered Sunstreaker, and both twins literally jumped over the Mustang and started to draw Autobot insignias over his salt-covered chassis.

"Hey! Get your dirty Autobot servos off me!" Barricade complained, revving his engine.

Bumblebee was clicking in laughter, his vocalizer still out of service. The police car had proven to be faster than him, but loosing had his good things, like seen his former enemy swerve too fast in a curve and skid, ending up in a pile of bushes. And he was going to save that clip in his memory banks until the end of his days.

"Fine, have it your way!" Barricade gave up with his threats to the twins. He endured the 'branding' torture and then he transformed back to mech form with a sickening sound of branches been crushed accompanying the normal transformation whirrs. "But in repay I want the bug covered in Decepticon emblems!" He smirked, pointing to the Autobot scout.

Bumblebee beeped in alarm and tried to escape, but it was futile. The lambo twins jumped over the yellow Camaro, preventing him from fleeing or transforming. In a second, Barricade was over him, drawing Decepticon emblems all over his hood while Sunstreaker and Sideswipe kept him pinned down.

"What were you saying about Decepticons and Autobots working together?" Optimus pointed out.

"You really have a death wish today, don't you?" Megatron snapped back, glaring daggers at the Autobot Leader.

"What is the problem?" Asked the Librarian, eager to help, with his old affable voice.

"I want to accompany Megatron back to Cybertron to help him." Said Optimus, loud and clear.

Every present mech and human stiffened and stopped what they were doing to look back at their faction leaders.

"You have quite the nerve to announce that in front of everyone." Megatron hissed dangerously.

"So, what is the _problem_?" Insisted the old mech.

"The _problem_? That he is going to get _shot_ the moment he lands a foot on Cybertronian ground." Megatron huffed. "And I already have many problems to care about Optimus getting killed and causing another war because of that."

"But we are here right now, and we are not killing each other." The old Prime pointed out. "And I am sure that the rest of the Decepticons back in Cybertron will understand it if you explain it to them. They respect you. They trust you. They will obey you."

The Decepticon Leader ran a servo down his helm, actually reconsidering the idea.

"Megatron." Said Optimus, approaching and placing a servo on his brother's shoulder-plates. "I have faith in you." He said, looking at him right into his crimson optics. Megatron's glare softened by the briefest of seconds.

"Arhg! Fine! But don't come back to me whining when you get blasted!" Megatron gave up with an aggravated sigh and a face-palm.

"Wait, what are you speaking about? Are you seriously going to Cybertron with them, Optimus?" Ironhide barked.

"Yes." Optimus replied, all seriousness. Ironhide recoiled a step. Jazz grabbed Prowl's shoulder, sensing that the tactician was about to glitch.

"But... WHY?" Ironhide cried.

"Because Optimus and Megatron are getting married. Human style." Skywarp suddenly piped in.

Everyone fell in the umpteenth awkward silence of the day.

A silence that was broken by the sound of Prowl collapsing onto the ground. Jazz was so shocked that he completely failed at stopping the fall of the Autobot Second in Command.

"Hah, I told you I could do it, Frenzy!" Chimed the black seeker.

"Oh my Primus, that mental image is going to haunt me in my recharges forever!" Wailed Sunstreaker.

"With Optimus in the white dress and Megatron in the black suit, or the other way around?" Asked Sideswipe.

And that was when the silence of the morning was shattered by a much louder crashing sound as another cybertronian collapsed onto the ground.

"Shockwave!" Exclaimed Megatron, glaring daggers at the black seeker and then at the silvery Autobot, who were both trying to muffle their laughter.

But Alpha Trion was quicker than anyone, and rewarded the snickering mechs with well earned smacks to the helm, at the same time, one with each servo. The feared 'double-smack-to-the-helm' of the ancient Prime.

Starscream did a great job at keeping a straight face, and added Skywarp and Sideswipe to his growing list of mechs who had received the punishment of the old Prime. 'Oh, and I think that I may have discovered for whom Shockwave cares for', he thought for himself, amused.

"It seems that after all, my med-bay is going to be used today." Ratchet gave a long sigh.

"Well, I think that we all need some _explanations_ before we start drawing hasty conclusions." Sighed Optimus.

"Explanations?" Murmured Megatron. "_Vacations_. I need some _vacations_ from all this madness." He continued grumbling.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Woah, this was a fast update, but it is because I was looking forward since the beggining of this fic to write this. The whole part about the Decepticons coming back to Earth. And I have tons of ideas I still have to write for the next chapters. I hope this turned out fine and I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. Eleonor had not had a lot of prominence in this chapter, and Soundwave had not said anything... but they will have more things to do in the next chapters, I promise. Let me know what you think! I appreciate all the comments and I always reply to them!


	14. Spa

Chapter 14: Spa

Things were relaxing very slowly at the Autobot Base. Sure thing everyone was still very wary, but since no blasts had been fired, one could deduce that hostilities were been kept at a minimum. They were still a little unsettled by the presence of the Nemesis and the group of Decepticons in their base, but they had not given any sign of been a threat, and Optimus had addressed everyone through the general channel of the comm. link, assuring them that everything was alright.

After Ratchet and Knock Out had managed to bring back to consciousness Prowl and Shockwave, Optimus had invited them to their Base, and with more or less complaints, Megatron had accepted. The rest of the Autobots regarded them with a wide spectrum of glares as the strange group of Autobots and Decepticons made their way into the facilities. Some looks were fearful, some hateful, some surprised, some curious.

Now, they were all sitting in the Autobot's conference room, situated in one of the biggest hangars and equipped with many cybertronian-sized chairs, a big projector and several computers. There was also an elevated system of platforms for the human members of the base, so that they didn't have to be looking up to speak.

It was there were Eleonor was sitting, her legs dangling off the platform, and her arms leaning on the handrail. Ravage was laid beside her, his front paws also dangling and his head rested on the handrail. And Frenzy was sitting over Eleonor's shoulders, with his arms resting on the young woman's head.

"So, what are you exactly doing up there?" Eleonor asked to the tiny silver mech.

"Protecting you from Laserbeak." He chuckled. "Are you uncomfortable with me riding you?" He asked, and the young woman laughed heartily at the odd question.

"Of course not, you are very light. And many mechs had carried me around in their alt modes. I don't mind returning the favor to the only mech smaller than me." She said. "But I have noticed that you two have not left my side since this morning." She added. "Have Soundwave told you to protect me? Or am I protecting you from the bigger Autobots that would like to step on you, but would not dare to harm a human in the process?"

"Damn, girl. You are clever. Can you read minds like Soundwave?" Replied Frenzy, honestly impressed.

"Something like that." Eleonor laughed. "Fine, here's the deal. You protect me from Laserbeak and I protect you from the Autobots."

"It works for me." Frenzy agreed.

"What's with him and my hair anyway?" She asked, intrigued.

"I have no idea. It smells good."

Below them, a more or less comfortable group of Autobots and Decepticons were sitting, waiting for something to happen. The seekers were at the back of the room, their winged frames would block the view of the smallest mechs if they were put on the first line. In front of them were Shockwave, Ironhide, Breakdown and Soundwave (with Laserbeak on his shoulder). Occupying the first chairs were Ratchet, Prowl, Jazz, Knock Out, Bumblebee, Barricade, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. The faction leaders were on the main platform, Megatron on one side, leaning on the wall, Alpha Trion on the other side, seated on a chair, and Optimus in the center, in front of the main screen.

Clearing his vocalizer, Optimus attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Megatron had preferred that the Autobot Leader did the talk, because he was better with words.

"I am here today to speak to you, not as an Autobot, or as a Prime, but as a fellow cybertronian." He started. Megatron smiled inwardly. He had to admit that Optimus had charisma. "Some days ago, the Decepticons made an interesting discovery in a planet they were exploring..."

* * *

><p>About two hours later, Optimus had explained everything with the occasional help of the old Prime and one or two remarks from Megatron.<p>

"Is there any clue of _when_ will Unicron show his ugly face over this corner of the Universe?" Asked Sunstreaker, after the blue and red Leader had finished with the long explanation.

"No. It could be in a hundred years or in a thousand, but he will arrive some day. The Covenant foresees the coming of Unicron as our next crucial challenge, and I fear that if we don't cooperate between us, we won't be able to defeat him." Replied Optimus.

"And these... _mythical weapons_ are the only way to defeat Unicron?" Asked Barricade.

"Yes. And finding them might prove to be quite a feat, that is why we were planning to start searching for them as soon as possible, so when the time comes, we will be prepared to make our final stand against Unicron, a menace that threatens Autobots and Decepticons alike. Even Earth and the rest of the Universe." Said Optimus.

"That is... a lot to think about..." Prowl murmured, his tone unusually concerned.

"I know." Optimus sighed. "But it is what we must do to ensure our own safety."

"So, you said that the first fragment of the Star Saber was in Cybertron?" Intervened Thundercracker.

"Yes, but we need _the Key_ to Vector Sigma to retrieve it. And the Key is guarded by _Omega __Supreme_. He had remained hidden on Cybertron during all these years."

"Woah, da big guy." Whistled Jazz.

"Yes. He will not listen to the Decepticons, but he will obey me. That is why I want to go to Cybertron with Megatron. To help him with this problem without risking more lives." Explained Optimus.

"With all due respect, Sir. That is suicide." Said Prowl. "Even trusting the good will of the Decepticons here today, I don't think it is safe enough. The rest of the mechs back in Cybertron may not be so prone to listen to reasons. Or they might as well shoot first and ask questions later. No offense intended. We have the same problem with some of our own mechs, if I may recall the last incident with Warpath."

"Finally!" Exclaimed Megatron suddenly. "Someone that shares my point of view!" Prowl's doorwings twitched involuntarily. Sharing the same thoughts with the Decepticon Leader was a little unsettling, to say the least.

"Well, if anyone comes up with a better plan, I am willing to listen." Said Optimus.

The room fell in a thoughtful silence for several long minutes, processors working hard, running hundreds of different scenarios and coming up with nothing better.

Suddenly, Skywarp, who had been unusually quiet, stood up, his chair falling to the floor. Everyone tensed and looked back at him. But not for a long time, because he suddenly disappeared, warping out of sight and reappearing with a purple flash beside the Autobot leader.

"I don't know what you think, guys, but I don't want to die or to loose my home. And if I have to stick myself to Optimus' tailpipe and protect him from any potential danger to succeed at this, _so be it_!" Skywarp said, loud and clear, pulling the Autobot Leader into an awkward hug.

"And I am sure we won't be able to pull pranks in the Well of Sparks!" Cheered Sideswipe. "So, count us in!" And they jumped over the main platform to hug the Autobot leader too.

"Please, this is awkward, release me." Pleaded the blue and red mech.

Megatron face-palmed.

"Shockwave, please, don't you ever think about returning my fusion cannon to me until we leave this place. The urge to kill someone is too strong and keeps growing with each passing breem." The Decepticon Leader sighed slowly.

"No, Lord Megatron." Shockwave replied, efficiently.

"So, who is going with you?" Said suddenly ironhide.

"Who?" Repeated Optimus, finally free from Skywarp and the twins, but still a little distracted.

"You can complain as much as you want. You are not going alone to Cybertron. Pick up a team, I don't care who else you choose, but I'm in." Growled the weapons specialist.

"Well, that's not a bad idea." Said Prowl.

"Then I must think this through carefully, and arrange a lot of things before leaving." Said Optimus, thoughtfully rubbing his chin-plates. "I think we'll be ready to leave in a couple of days."

"For the love of Primus!" Megatron let out an aggravated sigh. "You are going to be the death of me!"

"I refuse! That's my job!" Said suddenly Starscream, stabbing an accusatory finger in the Autobot Leader's direction, making Optimus smile very briefly and Megatron face-palm, which was becoming a habit since he was on the Autobot Base.

"So, what do we do until we leave? Considering that we can't leave the Base and such..." Frenzy piped in, still seating on Eleonor's shoulders.

"Ah suppose dat gettin' along with da enemy, my little fellah!"

"I really need a vacation..." Murmured the Decepticon Leader.

* * *

><p>Optimus and Ironhide remained in the conference room accompanied by Megatron, Shockwave and Alpha Trion. They had much to discuss and prepare until their departure. The rest of their soldiers were dismissed after the Autobot Leader had used the P.A. system to inform everyone that the group of Decepticons had came in peace and were not to be harmed. Even like that, Megatron's team would do well in been careful with were they stepped, in case they found a resentful Autobot.<p>

"...My poor paint-job..." Whined Knock Out, back to his usual self, once they were out of the conference room. All the race competitors were still covered in white dust and salt.

"I thought that you had forgotten about it, after that unsettling news that had been revealed." Thundercracker observed.

"Yes, momentarily. But now my priorities are back." Knock Out grinned.

"Well..." Sunstreaker hummed. "I think that we may have a solution to that..."

The Decepticons turned to look warily at the golden twin.

"Of course, the _spa_!" Beamed Sideswipe, clasping his servos together.

"You have built a cybertronian-sized spa?" Asked Eleonor in disbelief.

"What's a 'spa'?" Asked Breakdown, between alarmed and confused.

* * *

><p>The strange group of Autobots and Decepticons stared with wide optics at the huge hangar in front of them. Opening the heavy door, a sudden cloud of warm water vapour steamed their optic sensors.<p>

"I am _so_ not getting inside there..." Murmured Barricade, recoiling a step.

When the fog cleared, they could see a really big and deep pool with steaming warm water. In one corner of the hanger there were several wash racks.

"Turning down our generosity, tsk tsk." Jazz lamented, his visor dimming in feigned sadness.

"Come on, filthy Decepticon, are you afraid of water?" Teased Sunstreaker.

"Breakdown." Knock Out said suddenly. His assistant and partner stood to attention. "As a medic, I can't let our fellow comrade, Barricade, to continue in this _pitiful_ state. His gears and cogs are all clogged up with organic material that could pose a threat to his transformation sequence."

"Wait, don't you even think about it." Growled Barricade, holding up his servos defensively, and recoiling a couple of steps. He knew what the red medic had in mind.

"Seize him!" Knock Out ordered.

And Breakdown obeyed. With a speed that was unusual for his size, he grabbed the smaller Decepticon hunter and dragged him to the nearest wash rack. Barricade kept complaining and cursing in both Cybertronian and English all the way, but it was futile. The red medic let a sadistic smile cross his features for a brief second.

"You just want to use him as a test subject to check if the warm water is harmful, don't you?" Asked Thundercracker quietly.

"Of course." Knock Out replied, smugly, and made his way to where his assistant had dragged the black and white mech.

Bumblebee, for his part, was tired of been covered in dust. He wasn't as melodramatic as the other sports cars, but he didn't like been dirty either. So, transforming into his camaro alt-mode, he sped towards the pool, his tires squealing on the wet floor. Then, he made an impressive jump using a cybertronian-sized trampoline, transformed mid-air into mech form, and landed in the middle of the pool, the water splashing in every direction a considerable distance.

"Wait for us!" Exclaimed Sideswipe and Sunstreaker at the same time, also rushing into the steaming pool.

The three seekers were looking at them with hesitation. Soundwave wasn't interested at all in having a bath. He was impeccably clean already.

"Well, I have things to do and human members to warn." Said Prowl, turning to face the beige seeker. "I am leaving. Please, do not cause trouble. If you need something, my comm. frequency is open." He turned to leave. After all, he always could keep an optic on the Decepticon visitants using the security cameras' feed. "Are you coming, Jazz?"

"Nah, Ah'm stayin'. Dis sounds like tons of fun."Jazz smirked, his visor flashing in amusement.

"I am leaving too. If someone gets hurt, I will be in the med-bay, probably attending to processor meltdowns." Said Ratchet, and turned to leave too. "What are you going to do, Eleonor?" He asked to the small human.

"I'm staying too. I will be fine." She smiled. "By the way, are Mikaela and Sam at the base? I would like to say hello to them."

"Yes, I forgot. They are in the main building with the rest of the humans. I'll tell them on my way to the med-bay. Bye." Said the Autobot medic, and left, following Prowl.

Soundwave turned to look at the seekers, who were tentatively approaching the pool. Then to Laserbeak on his shoulder, who was at that moment curled, enjoying a sunbath on his privileged perch. The Communications Officer decided that standing guard outside the 'spa' and surfing the human Internet was the best form to pass his time in the current situation.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Asked Skywarp. Seekers were creatures from the sky. Their favourite place to be was high over the clouds, with the wind rushing over their frames. Standing in mech form on the ground was of course, necessary for the everyday. But the mere thought of been surrounded by water was enough to send a chill down their spinal struts. Water _per se_ was not dangerous or harmful for cybertronians in any way. Their circuits were completely sealed. Light rain even felt nice over their frames. But letting warm water flow inside their inner workings, through their air intakes, transforming gears and cogs... well, that was another thing.

"Of course it's safe." Grinned Sunstreaker, already in the pool, although Barricade's agonizing screams were not a good omen.

"Are you taking a bath too, Ele?" Asked Frenzy, still sitting over Eleonor's shoulders."

"No, no. I am happy just to see you guys having fun." She replied.

"Well... Barricade doesn't seem to be having a lot of fun, actually." Murmured Skywarp, cringing slightly.

"That's more because Knock Out is extracting the branches out of his joints." Thundercracker pointed out, turning to look to the wash rack were Breakdown was pinning the police car down, while Knock out did his job.

"I still don't like this... hot water pool. It seems dangerous." Murmured Skywarp. "What do you think, 'Screamer?"

"The water's temperature is about 38 Celsius degrees. Even a human would survive that." Said the beige seeker, crouching beside the pool and on-lining his thermal sensors.

"Ah think we should just shove ya inside." Said Jazz, passing next to the crouched seeker and poking him with a servo.

Starscream's wings stiffened.

"Do that, and I'll shoot you. Screw the Key, the Star Saber and Unicron." The seeker growled. "Besides, I'm not dirty. We seekers don't get dirty as you, ground-pounders." He added with disdain.

"OK, OK... jeez. But ya don't have ta be dirty ta take a bath. This is not only for cleanin'. This is more for _relaxing_." Replied Jazz, his visor flashing bright. Then, he seated on the pool's edge, and let himself slip inside. "Yeah, this feels so right." He smiled, leaning against the pool's wall in a casual manner.

Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Bumblebee were very quiet, also enjoying the warm water flowing through their seams, expressions of content on their face-plates.

Eleonor smiled. Mighty decepticon warriors afraid of hot water.

"And you, Ravage, do you like water?" She asked.

The cybertronian panther crouched and warily crawled to the edge of the pool. Reaching a paw, he gave a tentative swipe to water's surface. He repeated the process some times more, and then he turned to come back at Eleonor's side.

"Ravage has decided that the hot water is not a threat, but he still doesn't find it pleasant. He prefers to be dry." Frenzy translated, having felt Ravage's thoughts through their symbiotic link.

"Good news everyone. The water is not dangerous at all!" Cheered Knock Out, coming back from the wash rack and stopping beside the pool. Everyone looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"Well, considering there are already four mechs in the big pool... yes, I already knew that. Thanks doctor." Retorted Starscream.

"Then you have tortured me with that hot steaming water shot directly at my undercarriage for nothing?" Barricade was bristling. "I'm going to kill you for that!"

"The pressure was necessary to extract the organic material that got stuck in your transforming cogs." Knock Out sighed, uninterested in the police mech's rage.

Barricade snarled and pounced on the red medic, who simply stepped aside at the right moment. The black and white mech could not change his direction or stop his momentum, so, he ended up in the pool with a dramatic splash and a thread of cybertronian curses that died gradually as he sank into the water until he reached the bottom of the pool.

"Ah knew dis was gonna be tons of fun." Jazz smirked.

"Hello, Eleonor!" Cheered suddenly a new female voice.

"Mikaela, Sam!" Exclaimed Eleonor, turning to face the entrance of the spa. Mikaela and Sam came in, accompanied by Ratchet, and rushed towards the young woman, but they stopped dead as they came closer.

"Oh my god, is that small 'Con that tried to kill us!" Exclaimed Sam, his expression changing from joy to sheer panic in less than a second when he saw the small silvery 'Con, still sitting on Eleonor. "Run for your life, Eleonor!"

"Hello, Ladiesman217." Frenzy greeted, and laughed evilly. Ravage appeared from behind the young woman, and nuzzled her. Starscream was staring at the scene with infinite amusement.

"You two! Leave Eleonor alone! If you so much as scratch her I am going to-" Said Mikaela, but she never had the chance to finish her sentence, because suddenly, a big snarling shadow emerged from the pool, splashing water in every direction.

Barricade slammed both of his servos on the edge of the pool.

"Ladiesman217!" He growled, a sadistic grin appearing on his features. "I want your soul!"

The scream that came out of the young girl and boy was inhuman as they rushed to hide behind the Autobot medic.

In an instant, Bumblebee was over Barricade, struggling to push him underwater again.

"Slag! Release me, Autobug! It was a joke!" Pleaded the black and white mech, splashing even more. Jazz, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, for their part, were laughing their afts off. Thundercracker had a half smile, and Skywarp was grinning in amusement.

"I think that all this screaming is giving me a headache..." Eleonor murmured, with a face-palm.

"Believe me, humans, if Barricade had wanted to cause you any real damage, you would be dead by now." Said Starscream slowly, an evil smirk adorning his face-plates. "We have a deal with Optimus. We have agreed to a ceasefire and we can't damage any human either... but that doesn't necessarily mean that we have to like you."

"And the agreement doesn't say anything about not scaring the crap out of the humans either." Added Barricade, who had managed to free himself from the yellow scout.

"Why don't you do the proper presentations, Ele?" Said Frenzy, still grinning deviously.

"How thoughtless of me." Eleonor gave a resigned sigh. "This are Ladie-I mean, Sam and Mikaela." The boy shot her a glare. Mikaela just chuckled. "And over here are doctor Knock Out and his assistant Breakdown." The red mech waved a servo and smiled smugly, and his assistant waved stiffly. "You already know Starscream and Skywarp, this is Thundercracker, the third member of his trine." The blue seeker made a polite nod. "You already know Barricade, the bad cop." The black and white mech rewarded the youngsters with a sadistic grin. "And this are Frenzy and Ravage, two of Soundwave's symbionts." The cybertronian panther gave a toothy grin, and Frenzy giggled in amusement.

"Oh, the one that was outside, Ratchet introduced him to us. He is a quiet mech, isn't he?" Said Mikaela.

"More like _creepy_... well, we came to say hello, and we are leaving now..." Sam intervened, a little unsettled by the huge Decepticons.

"So soon? why don't you stay a little longer?" Said Barricade, his voice sweet poison.

"Thank you, I like been alive." Sam replied quickly. "Besides, I've heard that Megatron is also here, and I don't want to be around just in case he forgets about that ceasefire."

"What a pity, you are funnier to scare than Eleonor." Whined Skywarp.

"We'll catch up later, 'Warp. I still have to tell you the outcome of Warpath's prank." Mikaela smirked, and Skywarp's face-plates lit up with a naughty grin. Sam looked back and forth between the two of them with concern. "Oh, before we leave, this is for you!" Exclaimed Mikaela, winking an eye and throwing a shopping bag to Eleonor. Frenzy quickly jumped off the young woman's shoulders and caught the bag mid-air before landing neatly on the floor.

"Bye!" Sam and Mikaela said, and rushed to the exit of the hangar, followed by Ratchet, and leaving a very dumbfounded Eleonor behind.

"What is this?" Murmured Frenzy, as he rummaged in the shopping bag and extracted a small piece of fabric.

"No way." Said Eleonor, her cheeks blushing instantly.

"It's called a bikini." Said Jazz, a wide grin spreading across his features.

"What's it for?" Asked Breakdown, curiosity taking hold on him.

"It's the kind of clothing that humans wear for swimming." Explained Sunstreaker, evilly.

"Eep!" Eleonor dashed off and hid under Starscream legs. The beige seeker looked down at her in amusement. "No, please."

"And what exactly makes you think that I will protect you?" Starscream smirked, his voice a malevolent purr as he slowly reached out a servo and gently grabbed her.

"Next time run in my direction, Eleonor. Now it's too late." Said Thundercracker, shaking his helm with regret.

Eleonor gave up with a resigned sigh, leaning her head against one of Starscream's claws.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, outside the hangar, Soundwave was bored. He was up to date with the human latest world news, the Wikipedia did not entail more mysteries to him, and he had downloaded a good supply of classical music. Ratchet entering the spa hanger with the two humans had been a brief distraction, but now, he was bored again.<p>

'Checkmate.' He typed to somebody. He had also been playing multiple online chess games with random players across the globe, and of course, had won every single one of them.

Then, his ever-sharpened scanners picked up a slight shuffling sound coming from behind several empty supply crates, next to the hangar. There was also a small thermal reading. Spurred by curiosity and boredom, he approached to the crates.

And what he discovered there left him puzzled.

A tiny female human child. Crouched behind a crate.

"Shh, I'm playing hide'n'seek with my mum! I'm winnin'!" She smiled proudly.

Soundwave's visor dimmed and brightened again, as if he were blinking in confusion. His first impulse was to forget about the small human grub. After all, she was hardly a menace. He turned to leave, but then stopped. He checked his data banks. That tiny human was about four Earth years old, judging from her stature and proportions. She should not be alone in a base full of huge cybertronians. Not even among Autobots alone. What was she doing there?

He turned to look at her again, and zoomed on his tiny figure. She had blond hair and crystal blue eyes. And she had a very curious outfit, with colorful wings on her back and little fluffy antennas on a hairband. Soundwave categorized that outfit as a 'costume', probably mimicking some organic insect.

"Are you an angel?" She beamed, her fluffy antennas wiggling as she tilted her head to a side.

Soundwave's visor blinked again in confusion. An angel? He checked his data banks. That was a winged figure, according to human mythology.

"You have wings!" She clarified, perhaps sensing Soundwave's hesitation, and pointed at him with a tiny finger.

Ah, yes. His antenna arrays on his back, big, flat and silvery. She must had confused them with wings.

"What's your name?" She came out from behind the crate and approached to him.

What was with that human offspring? Had she never been told to be wary of giant robots that could crush her under a foot without a second thought?

"Oh... I am sorry. I guess you can't speak... Well, don't worry, I can fix you." She beamed. "Pick me please!"

Fix him? Pick her? Well, anyway. He would pick her and bring her to some Autobot. They will know what to do with her.

Soundwave complied, and offered her a servo. She climbed on it with difficulty. Then he lifted her to optic level. She was carrying a small purse adorned with a kitten. Reaching inside the small purse, she extracted several small adhesive tissues.

"My daddy is brave and strong, and he goes on missions to fight bad people. But when he comes back home, he usually says that he hurts everywhere. And it makes my mum sad. But then I come and put band-aids on him, and he always says that he feels better after that."

Soundwave was completely lost. He had managed to deduce that this girl was the daughter of some soldier at the base, but how her band-aids were capable of making someone feel better, that was a mystery.

"So, maybe I can fix your voice using my band-aids too." She smiled, her eyes bright. "Hold me closer to your face." Soundwave complied, more out of curiosity than anything. Laserbeak stirred on his shoulder, but he sent him a mental command to be calm. Then the small girl started to stick band-aids all over Soundwave's face-mask.

Soundwave was a little shocked, but didn't register anything unusual coming out from the small pieces of fabric stuck over his face-mask, even though he had tuned high the dermal sensors of that area.

"There." She smiled proudly, contemplating her work. "Oh wait, It doesn't work until I do this." Then, she approached again and planted a kiss on Soundwave's metal cheek.

Now, the Communications officer was utterly lost. With his sharpened sensors he had perfectly picked up the light pressure of the small kiss and the gentle pats over his face-mask.

"Ready. Do you feel better now?" She asked, her young features smiling fearlessly. Soundwave's expression was still unreadable. "Are you afraid to speak? Don't worry, I will take care of you."

Soundwave was surprised with the small human offspring. Not only she was not afraid of him, but she seemed to have decided to take care of him. Even fix an imaginary injury that he didn't had. So naive.

"Please don't hurt her." Said suddenly an unknown female voice from below them. Soundwave had been so engrossed with the little girl, that he had not noticed anyone approaching. Looking down he discovered a human female. Older than Eleonor, but still healthy. She also had blond hair. Soundwave deduced that she should be the female parental unit of the small girl. She was trembling, probably in fear, and her eyes shone with contained tears. "At that age human children don't know what's good or bad. They only do what they feel it's the right thing."

"Hi mommy!" Beamed the small girl, peeking from behind Soundwave's servos.

"Hello, sweetie." The woman replied, her voice trembling.

"You told me to hide, so I thought we were playing hide'n'seek." The small girl said innocently. "But I found... this robot. And he couldn't speak, so I used my band-aids to fix him." She smiled proudly. "He must be an angel, because he has beautiful wings! Do you know if there are robot angels?"

"I am sure he must be an angel then." The woman replied, taking a tentative step. Her hands were also trembling. She was terrified. But she had managed to put her fears aside for her little offspring. The Decepticon was impressed. "Why don't you come back with me to the base? I am sure that your angel has important things to do."

Soundwave saw the opportunity to get rid of the small human without further complications. Returning her to her mother was indeed, the best course of action. So, lowering his servo to the ground, he deposited the tiny girl next to her mother, the butterfly wings and antennas from her costume wiggling with the motion.

"Thank you." Said the woman, quickly reaching for her daughter and scooping her up. "Say good-bye, honey."

"Ohh... but mum... he still doesn't talk. I think my band-aids don't work on robot angels..." She murmured, pouting in a manner that could have melt the ice-caps, her lower lip trembling slightly and her eyes shining. "Good-bye..." She finally said, giving up with a sigh. The woman turned to leave, still with her daughter scooped up between her arms, the little girl's head leaning on her shoulder with a disconsolate expression.

"Good-bye." Said Soundwave unexpectedly, although his voice showed no emotions.

The woman stopped, and her daughter's face lit up with joy in a second.

"What's your name, robot angel?" She beamed.

"Designation: Soundwave."

"Designation!" The tiny girl cheered.

"Negative. Designation: Soundwave." He repeated.

"Designation Soundwave!" She repeated again, proud to have learned a name that was so long and complex to pronounce.

"Well, it seems that you managed to fix him. Let's go now to the base." Said the woman, placing a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

"Oh, and my name is Annabelle! Good-bye, Designation!"

The Communication Officer saw no point in trying to correct her again.

She waved as her mother carried her until they disappeared from his line of vision.

Soundwave was in thoughtful silence after that for a while. Speaking to the human offspring had been completely unnecessary. But he had not had the spark to let her go with that pout. Why?

"Thank you. For not harming them." Said suddenly a new male voice. Looking down, Soundwave discovered a human soldier, his stance wary, but not aggressive. His ID card identified him as Major W. Lennox, one of the members of the N.E.S.T., the division of human soldiers that helped the Autobots, according to Soundwave's knowledge. "You decided to pay us a visit so suddenly that I had not time to send them home."

"Soundwave: Decepticon warrior. Enemies: Autobot and human warriors. Sparklings: not enemies." The blue and silvery mech replied, showing no emotions.

"Even so, you didn't have to be nice to them. Thank you." Major Lennox saluted and left quickly, not desiring to bother the Decepticon Third in Command any longer. He didn't show it, but he had been utterly terrified when his small daughter had disappeared from his side in the worst of moments, and he almost had a heart attack when he and his wife, Sarah, had discovered the little girl between the servos of the dangerous Decepticon. Sarah had pleaded him to be quiet and let her try a peaceful approach. The Decepticons, after all, had agreed to a ceasefire.

She had been right.

Lennox had only known the Decepticons in the battle-field. For him, all of them were mindless killing machines with no emotions.

Now, he knew that he had been wrong.

* * *

><p>Eleonor didn't like bikinis. Not even full swimsuits. Not that she didn't had a nice body. But compared with the ones of the beautifuly perfect models that appeared on television, she felt inferior. Mikaela had been right with her size, and the bikini was undeniably nice, with a funny black and grey camouflage pattern. But she still didn't feel comfortable wearing something so scarce.<p>

Finally, she came out of the changing room, resigned to face her destiny.

And Knock Out wolf-whistling at her didn't help at all.

Her face reddened even more.

"Girl, ya give up too easily ta yer dudes." Jazz grinned. "Mikaela would have never gave in."

"Like if I could." Eleonor sighed in resignation.

Starscream chuckled. One of the things he found amusing about his human was that he hardly ever complained and never put up a fight. She was calm, obedient and resigned. Yes, she was a good pet. All the opposite of Mikaela.

"Let's get this done." She said, and seating first on the edge of the pool, she let herself slip inside. "Oh, for Primus' sake!"

"What?" Exclaimed Starscream, startled. As much as he enjoyed to embarrass his human, he didn't want her to get hurt.

"It's perfect! A little hot at first, but once you get used to it, it's perfect." She smiled. "I'm not coming out." She giggled, swimming to the center of the pool.

"You know, she's right." Added Barricade, who was at that moment leaning casually against the pool's wall and beside Bumblebee. Both with relaxed expressions on their face plates. "This is not bad at all."

"After all the drama, now you say you like it?" Huffed Knock Out, approaching to the edge of the pool, ready to get inside and check it by himself. "I just can't see the point in making such a fuss about-Oh Primus!" He exclaimed. "Breakdown, come here!"

So, after a minute, Breakdown and Knock Out were comfortably settled, enjoying the warm steaming water flowing through their inner workings.

"We must tell Motormaster about this. If he ever builds a spa in Kaon, I'm going to spend there the eighty per cent of my spare time!" Said breakdown.

"I agree." Replied the red medic.

Suddenly a small splash caught everyone's attention.

"Oh my Primus!" Exclaimed Frenzy, thrashing in the water and sinking. "Help!" Eleonor, been the nearest one, swam quickly in his direction and had to dive almost a meter to rescue him.

"What happened?"

"I-I wanted to try the spa too, b-but I'm made from metal and I started to sink, and I'm small and didn't reach the edge of the pool to get a hold, so I p-panicked." He explained very quickly.

"But you don't have to breathe. Why did you panic?" Said Eleonor, soothingly.

"I don't know, it felt weird to be surrounded by water." Said the small Decepticon.

"Shh, it's alright. Climb to my back. We are just going to float together." Frenzy did as he was told. "I know it can feel odd at first. But just relax. Shutter your optics. Just enjoy the warm water." The tiny mech complied and after a while he managed to calm down. It was true, the warm water felt good once he got used to it.

"Thanks..." Frenzy whispered, hugging closer Eleonor's neck. He was a little embarrassed by his sudden surge of panic.

"Don't worry." She whispered back. "And this is one good thing about humans. We _float_." She grinned.

Frenzy chuckled. Then he noticed a small mark on Eleonor's back. He placed a tiny servo over the damaged skin.

"Is this...?" He trailed off.

"Yes."

"It has not healed yet?"

"Yes, it has healed. But the skin will never be the same again in that area. It is called a _scar_." Eleonor sighed.

A sudden purple flash and a huge splash pulled everyone out of their thoughts and relaxed states. Skywarp had decided to give the hot pool a try, and had warped just over it to let himself drop, causing a huge wave that swept away Eleonor and Frenzy.

"Skywaaaarp!" Exclaimed almost everymech in the pool.

"Where am I?" Coughed Eleonor, who had ended up inexplicably over Breakdown's shoulder. And the small silver mech was no-where to be seen. "Frenzy!"

"I am here!" Replied Frenzy, from Breakdown's opposite shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." She replied. "Sorry Breakdown."

"It's nothing." The blue and grey mech chuckled.

"SKYWARP!" Starscream roared. "Are you fragging insane? You could have hurt someone!" But the black seeker didn't reply. He was very quiet and unmoving, with a blank expression on his face-plates. "Skywarp?" Everyone looked at the motionless seeker.

"Oh Primus... it's in my air-intakes." He muttered. "And it's getting in my transformation seams and my wings are sending me odd turbulence reports."

"That's because your wings are shaking, you idiot." Starscream replied.

"I don't like it." Skywarp whined. "TC... Star... Help me..."

"Just teleport out of there, 'Warp." Thundercracker intervened, his tone as soothingly as he could manage.

"I can't. I panicked. And if I move the water will get deeper into my seams..." That was when Skywarp lowered his firewalls in the trine-bond, sharing with his mates what he was feeling. The other two seekers stiffened instantly. It was not the water _per se_ what had made Skywarp panic. Been surrounded by water had made him remember that one time when he had been shot down, ending up in the ocean, holding Thundercracker to prevent them from sinking, while Starscream had been captured by the Autobots. And that memory had triggered his panic attack.

Starscream and Thundercracker looked back at each other and nodded in agreement. In an instant, they jumped to the water and approached their unmoving trine-mate, each one grabbing an arm. The water also invaded their systems, making them feel uncomfortable, but they didn't panic as the black seeker. After some agonizing minutes, they managed to drag Skywarp out of the pool.

"I-I'm sorry..." Skywarp muttered, standing on all fours by the pool, water dripping from his frame and coming out of his air-intakes in a small fountain.

"Hey, 'Warp. Are ya alright?" Asked Jazz, although everyone was looking with concern at the black seeker. Starscream and Thundercracker were beside him. The blue seeker patting his brother on a wing in a soothing manner.

"Transform into jet mode. You will feel better after a while." Starscream suggested, and Skywarp complied, his frame shaking and bailing out the water excess in his systems.

"I think we seekers are not made for water after all, uh, 'Warp?" Asked Thundercracker, trying to distract his brother's thoughts with some conversation.

"Can we do something for you, Skywarp?" Asked Eleonor with concern. She had never seen the usually cheerful seeker so panicked.

"I-It's OK. I'll be f-fine." Skywarp muttered. "I just need to calm down."

Starscream sighed. He should be reprimanding his foolish brother right now for doing that kind of things without a second thought. He should have gotten slowly inside the water, there was a ramp at the other side of the pool. That way it would have been easier for him to come out if he decided to back off. But he didn't had the spark to reprimand him right now.

Skywarp had never told them before how he had felt that day. Starscream's end of the bond going in stasis, far away from him. Thundercracker also in stasis. He had been alone, injured, holding to his blue brother, preventing both of them from sinking into the ocean. So alone. So helpless.

"Hello?" Said suddenly a female voice from the entrance of the spa. "May I come in?"

"Mikaela?" Asked Eleonor in disbelief.

"Hi." The younger girl waved, coming closer, and taking in all the mechs in front of her. "Bumblebee sent me a text message, telling me that Skywarp was upset. And I thought about passing by and telling him about that last prank we pulled on Warpath. It might cheer him up."

Starscream looked at the yellow scout in disbelief. Trusting one of his human charges with one of his brothers was difficult. Alter all, they were technically enemies still.

"I would really appreciate that, Mikaela." Said the black jet, his voice a little more cheerful.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Poor Megatron. He really needs a vacation. And OMG Soundwave, you are the cutest thing ever! Don't deny it! (And you still have your face-mask all covered in band-aids). Anyway, I'm still not very sure about how this chapter came out. I don't like working with many characters on scene, because there are always some of them that don't say anything. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestion. There are still more funny things to come!


	15. Plans

Chapter 15: Plans

Still in the conference room, Megatron and Optimus discussed and refined their plans and strategies. The Autobot Leader had revealed the location of Omega Supreme. The gargantuan mech was hidden somewhere under the ruins of Kalis, a city close to Iacon. He was presumably in stasis by now, but he would fully on-line at any sign of danger for him or the treasure he guarded with his live.

"Are you sure that Omega Supreme will attend to reasons?" Shockwave asked. Like the good tactician he was, he wanted to bear in mind all the possible outcomes of a problem.

"I must admit that Omega was not programmed with a very cunning intelligence." Optimus replied, crossing his arms over his chest-plates. "But he will listen to me. After all, he is an Autobot."

"That's my biggest concern." Shockwave shook his helm in a worried gesture. "What will be stronger? His desire to follow the commands of a comrade, or his instincts for destroying potential menaces?"

"Your concerns are justified, Shockwave." Optimus replied after contemplating that possibility for a while. "Let us plan some alternative strategies just in that case."

* * *

><p>"What we didn't know when we where were stuffing Warpath's cannon, was that the next day was going to be a firepower exhibition for some high ranking military men and politicians. And that some Autobots had agreed to take part on it. Among them, our tank friend." Mikaela explained, seating on Skywarp's left wing, her legs dangling down the edge. Starscream and Thundercracker were sitting on the edge of the pool, their clawed feet in the water. As long as it didn't get into their air-intakes, it was not unpleasant. The rest of the mechs were in the pool.<p>

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were giggling in anticipation. They had also been present that day at the demonstration.

"The faces. Oh my god, _the faces_ those snooty bureaucrats did when they saw Warpath's first blast!" Mikaela resumed her account. "I had no idea that fireworks could came in so many colors! And that heat-proof confetti that Wheeljack had invented! It was amazing!"

Everyone had been very quietly listening to Mikaela until that moment, when Sunstreaker shared the video file of the moment using the comm. link. They all exploded in laughter at the same time. Jazz even had the consideration of playing it in a holographic projector on his wrist, so that Eleonor could watch the show too.

"And who got punished for the prank?" Skywarp asked, once the laughter subsided.

"Well, as you know, it was our doing. _You_ and _me_. But since you fled, all the punishment fell on _me_." Mikaela replied, with a melodramatic gesture.

"No! Don't tell me Optimus put you in the brig!" The black jet exclaimed, his frame shaking slightly.

"No, nothing like that. Ratchet had to dismount Warpath's chest-cannon again and made me clean it, since I was the only one with the appropriate size to get inside and clean it. I got all dirty and covered in soot for that! And I smelled like gunpowder for three days!" Mikaela stabbed an accusatory finger to the innocent looking black F-22 Raptor.

"Skywarp, you are in debt with a human femme. Mikaela no less. You are doomed." Sideswipe said ominously.

"Am I?" Skywarp asked innocently.

"Your problem, not mine." Starscream replied, holding up both servos in the air, sensing that the question had been asked in his direction. "Your pranks, your punishments." Mikaela grinned mischievously.

"Are you seriously going to let a human femme order you around?" Barricade asked in disbelief.

"Who knows, this could be fun." Skywarp replied. "What do you have in mind, Mikaela?"

"Hmmm... How about a ride?" She replied, clasping her hands together. She had always wanted to mount on a fighter jet.

"You don't know what you are asking for..." Eleonor murmured, ominously. She had experienced first hand some of the black seeker's aerial stunts.

"Negative. We can't leave the Autobot base or it's airspace. Optimus Prime's orders." Starscream shook his helm.

"Aww..." Skywarp whined.

"Well, what do you do in your spare time, apart from flying and pulling pranks?" Mikaela asked.

"Hmm... watching races and gladiatorial fights, playing video-games, watching cartoons, karaoke..."

"Hold on. You like karaoke?" Mikaela said in disbelief. "Do you like dancing too?"

"Yes but-"

"Say no more, my friend!" Mikaela exclaimed suddenly, standing over Skywarp's wing with a triumphant pose. "Tomorrow, we are having a party to celebrate this beautiful ceasefire!"

"Are you sure about-" Eleonor started to say, but she was cut mid-sentence.

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, you two look for an appropriate place to hold a party." Mikaela ordered, pointing to the two smirking twins.

"Yes, ma'am!" They replied at unison.

"Jazz, you are in charge of the music system." Mikaela continued issuing orders.

"Ah bet Blaster will be willin' ta help too." Jazz grinned.

"Bumblebee, you and Barricade will take care of setting the stage." Mikaela said, pointing to the Autobot scout and the Decepticon hunter.

"Wait, are you ordering me around, fleshling?" Barricade growled, standing up and shaking a fist in a threatening way. Bumblebee was immediately on him.

"I have some questions." Thundercracker intervened, watching the yellow scout and the black and white hunter struggling in the water with mild concern. "Should not Optimus agree with this first? And, wasn't this Skywarp's payment for the prank? Why is everyone going to be involved? Are you sure this isn't going to end in tragedy?"

"Well, it has my approval, and Ah'm Third in Command. Dat's more than sufficient ta organize a party." Jazz replied, his blue visor brightening with mischief.

"And one does not simply say 'no' to Mikaela." Sunstreaker added.

"And what else are you going to do around here? You either do this, or you pass two boring days at the Autobot Base. Your choice." Mikaela said.

"I'm in." Knock Out chirped. But the truth was, that he was already _in_ since the word 'party' was mentioned.

"And what will be my... payment?" Skywarp asked, warily.

"You are going to be my guardian and companion in the party." She decided.

"And what happens with Ladiesman217, I mean, Sam?" Frenzy piped in, deliberately confusing Sam's name.

"Screw Sam. I don't want to be on the way when Megatron's finds him." Mikaela said with a half grin. "Besides. I've always been envious of Eleonor. I also want a seeker of my own. At least for just one night."

"What?" Starscream growled, standing up from his sitting position on the edge of the pool. "Hear me out, fleshling. I am no one's pet. And neither is my brother. We are Decepticons, for Primus' sake. I don't know what do the Autobots do in their spare time, but I, at least, am going to make myself certain that our side keeps some dignity."

Everyone went stiff with Starscream's sudden surge of anger.

"Starscream, calm down..." Thundercracker said, with concern.

"This is serious business." Starscream continued cutting off his trine-mate. "We have came down to Earth to accomplish an important mission. _Not _for _partying_. Am I the only one who remembers that?" The beige seeker's words made the present mechs change their happiness for guilt. "Look." Starscream continued, realizing the change in the moral. "I've got nothing against parties. Or against cooperation between Autobots and Decepticons. But doing this kind of things, when everyone is still on edge and wary is very risky. A misunderstood glance, an unfortunate step, and old grudge resurfacing. Just a failure, just a _single failure_ and everything will go to the Pit."

Everyone fell in silence after the seeker's speech.

"You are right, Starscream." Mikaela sighed. "This can be dangerous. At least so soon." The rest of the presents nodded in agreement, guilt written across their features.

"Well, I am glad that you all understand the gravity of the situation here." Starscream said, satisfied. "Now, you can continue planning your party." Starscream smirked. Everyone fell in another awkward silence with deadpanned expressions.

"You, scary bastard!" Skywarp hissed. "You had it all planned to make us feel guilty and upset!"

"Nope. My intention was to make you realize the severity and dangerousness of this predicament, so that you all act accordingly."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?" Thundercracker asked to the beige seeker. "I thought I was the only responsible seeker of our trine."

"Well, it's never too late to act like a good Second in Command, isn't it?" Starscream grinned.

"Lord Megatron would be very glad to hear that." Barricade commented between snickers.

"Oh, Lord Megatron is so going to have a spark-failure when he sees this party..." Starscream rubbed his servos together. "And then, I will be _Lord Starscream_ and lead the Decepticons!" He rose a fist in the air, very theatrically.

"You are going to lead _what_?" A new voice said suddenly from behind the beige seeker.

"Eep!" Starscream jumped slightly on the spot, startled by the voice of Megatron, who had arrived just at the best moment without been noticed, as usual. Starscream's clawed feet, not very suitable for flat surfaces, slipped on the wet floor, making him stumble over the edge of the pool. And he fell flat into the hot steaming water, helplessly flailing his arms in the air until he hit the water's surface and sank, raising a huge wave in the process.

Fortunately, Eleonor was prepared this time, and held tightly to Breakdown, the nearest mech.

Seconds later, Starscream resurfaced and went deadly quiet.

"Starscream?" Megatron asked, confused by his Second in Command's indescribable expression.

"It's in my air-intakes..."

"Not again..." Thundercracker sighed with a face-palm.

* * *

><p>Easier than with Skywarp, Thundercracker helped Starscream out of the pool. Megatron had arrived, accompanied by Optimus.<p>

"So, what is the meaning of... this?" Megatron asked, glaring at his surroundings. The rest of the present mechs, Autobots and Decepticons alike, flinched slightly in pure reflex. Optimus' presence was a little reassuring, but not a complete relief.

"Seeker torture, that's what it is!" Starscream complained, water still dripping from his frame, and little fountains coming out of his air-intakes.

"I'll keep that in mind." Megatron smirked, and his Second in Command shot him a glare.

"It's just a little diversion that my mechs have adapted from human culture." Optimus explained. "They find warm water to be quite relaxing and soothing."

"Not for seekers!" Skywarp insisted, still in jet mode. Megatron turned to look at him.

"What's that human vermin doing sitting on you?" The Decepticon Leader asked, his crimson gaze piercing through Mikaela. The young girl hopped immediately off the seeker, and Skywarp transformed back to mech form and picked up the girl.

"Nothing! It's... it's just a pet." Skywarp said quickly, earning a glare from Mikaela and Bumblebee.

"Hmpf." Megatron seemed unconvinced, but let it be. "Well, I just wanted to make myself sure that everyone was still behaving properly." He said threateningly. "I swear, sometimes I don't know if I have soldiers or sparklings." He grumbled. Optimus smiled very briefly. Sometimes he asked himself the same question.

At that moment Soundwave arrived, making a polite salute to the faction leaders.

"Soundwave, what happened to your face-mask?" Megatron asked, raising an optic-ridge.

The Decepticon spy master stiffened, his face-mask and visor more unreadable than usual.

"I am sure it was a harmless prank..." Optimus intervened quickly. "Do you need assistance, Soundwave?"

"Negative." Soundwave replied, emotionless.

"Then we should head to the main hangar, Megatron. We still have some legal paperwork to do before we leave." The Autobot Leader suggested, using the human term, and giving the Communications Officer a knowing glance.

"I'll show you how we, Decepticons, deal with petty human paperwork." Megatron growled, with an evil glint in his optics and instinctively reaching his left servo to caress the fusion cannon that should be mounted on his right arm, but he found the place empty. He remembered then that Shockwave still had it safely guarded. "Frag. Let's go find Shockwave first."

Shaking his helm in amusement, Optimus headed for the exit, followed by Megatron. Soundwave silently vented a sigh. The Autobot Leader had saved him from a very embarrassing explanation.

"Ah know what happened ta ya..." Jazz smirked, once their respective leaders were out of audio range. "She did da same thing ta me the first time Ah met her. But all over mah visor. But she was so happy."

"Oh, my god. You found little Anny?" Mikaela gasped, as realization hit her. The few things that she knew about the silent Decepticon Third in Command were not very reassuring. Some said that he was the most loyal servant to Megatron, others said that he was only with Megatron because he wanted to be on the winning side of the War. It was said that he had no emotions at all, and others believed that he was only an overpowered drone.

"Annabelle Lennox previous status: missing. Current status: guarded by parental units." Soundwave explained efficiently.

"Who is this Annabelle?" Skywarp asked to Mikaela, who was still in his servos.

"She is the daughter of one of the soldiers, Major William Lennox. She is four years old. She and her mother were here at the base when you decided to show up, and we didn't have time to send them home." She explained. "Little Annie was still in a butterfly costume when she arrived. They had a performance in her school. She liked the costume so much that she didn't want to take it off. That little girl is the cutest thing, I swear!" Mikaela was about to squeal. "However, she got lost playing hide and seek soon before you arrived, and their parents were dead with worry." She looked up to Soundwave and decided to give him credit. "But fortunately, she is safe now, thanks to Soundwave."

"Request: do not tell Lord Megatron." Soundwave stated. He was hoping to keep the little incident in secret, thanks to Optimus' quick intervention. But now, it seemed that the rest of his crew had managed to deduce what had happened.

"Tsk, tsk, Soundwave." Starscream shook his helm. "The fact that I am starting to act lately like a good Second in Command doesn't mean that you have to begin disobeying Megatron's orders and hiding things from him." He smirked smugly.

Soundwave glared at the smirking seeker behind his mask and visor.

"Honestly, Soundwave. That's the least of Megatron's concerns right now. I assure you." Starscream said, back to seriousness, and the blue mech felt a little relieved. "Meanwhile, I suggest you to get in the pool. The warm water will dissolve the glue, and those stickers will come off by themselves."

The Decepticon Third in Command looked at the pool with a defeated aura.

* * *

><p>Eleonor was out of the pool, wrapped in a towel and brushing her hair. The rest of the mechs were already outside the hangar, drying in the desert's Sun. Mikaela was also with them, animatedly narrating some of the latest pranks and gossips of the Autobot Base. Only Starscream was still inside, waiting for Eleonor.<p>

"So, when did we pass from studying rocks in a remote planet, to discovering the Covenant of Primus, an ancient Prime, signing a ceasefire with the Autobots and finally, organizing a party together?" Eleonor asked, thinking about the uncanny changes in their situation.

"I'll let you know when I find out." Starscream sighed at the rhetoric question.

Eleonor smiled and disappeared inside the changing room. Some minutes later, she came out wearing her normal clothes, and they reunited with the rest of the mechs outside the hangar.

"...By the way, Eleonor..." Mikaela started to say, as she saw her walking out of the hangar beside Starscream. Eleonor looked back at Mikaela, her mind still a little hazy from the relaxing warm water. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm not hungry. I'm starving." Eleonor replied with a sheepish smile. "But I was having so much fun that I didn't want to interrupt." She admitted.

* * *

><p>Bumblebee, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had taken Barricade, Knock Out and Breakdown to a tour around the base. Jazz had left to continue with his duties. The elite trine was in the dining hall with Eleonor and Mikaela. The Arcee triplets were also there, their watchful gaze fixated on the seekers. Ravage and Frenzy were sitting near Eleonor, the cybertronian panther was half asleep and Frenzy was looking at everyone and everything with devious intentions, his processors probably coming up with pranks.<p>

"I still find it hard to believe that you trust that little creeper." Mikaela said, taking a bite of the ice-cream she was having as dessert and glaring daggers at the tiny silver mech. "He tried to kill Sam and me!"

"And you cut my head off! Lucky me I don't die that easily!" Frenzy retorted, he also had not forgotten the little encounter with Ladiesman217 and his girlfriend.

Eleonor sighed and rested her forehead on the table while the girl and the small Decepticon continued arguing, fortunately only verbally.

"Is anyone here that had not tried to kill anyone?" Eleonor tiredly asked, finally distracting them from their conversation.

"Yes, you." Frenzy smirked.

"Well, I think I will start to develop murderous intentions if you two don't quiet a little. You are giving me a head-ache." Eleonor groaned.

"That's impossible. You wouldn't hurt a fly even if your life depended on it. I have seen you open the window of your room to let them out when any fly gets inside." Mikaela added with a smirk of her own.

"Yeah, see? You both have something in common. You like to pick on me." Eleonor sighed as she got up and left the table.

"Were are you going?" Frenzy asked.

"To the bathroom, for Primus' sake, must I say everything?" Eleonor replied, a little irritated as she walked down the corridor.

"What happens to little Eleonor? She is usually so kind and polite..." Skywarp wondered.

"I'll tell you what happens to her." Thundercracker intervened, a small discomfort adorning his voice. He had been very quiet until then. "She had not rested since we left Cybertron. Fourteen hours of non-stop tense situations and worries, to be precise. But she doesn't want to take a rest because she prefers to be here looking after everyone and making sure nothing bad happens."

Mikaela felt suddenly very guilty. She looked at the empty can of the caffeinated drink that Eleonor had left on the table. She didn't usually have that kind of drinks.

"Poor Eleonor, always looking after everyone and never for herself." Skywarp said sadly. "What can we do for her?" He wondered, and everyone fell in a thoughtful silence.

But the silence was soon broken by a barking dog and the swearing of a young man struggling to keep it in check.

"Miles!" Mikaela greeted him from the table. "Over here!"

"Oh, hi everyone!" The blond young man saluted back, taking in all the mechs in the room that he didn't know. "Woah! New Autobots have arrived and nobody told me anything? I came to visit Sam and you. I thought it was odd that there weren't any guards at the entrance of the base. Now I realize that they must be occupied with the new arrivals."

"Not exactly." Mikaela face-palmed, not knowing where to start to explain. "Guys, this is Miles Lancaster, a friend of Sam and mine." The huge mastiff dog that was pulling Miles around barked loudly. "And... his dog Mason."

"Hi!" Miles waved. The Decepticons glanced down at him and looked suspiciously at the dog. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite. And I've trained him not to pee on Cybertronians!" Miles added, seen the murderous glances that his dog was receiving.

"And this are Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Frenzy and Ravage." Mikaela said, pointing at each mech as she called out their names. "They are not Autobots. They are... well, they are Decepticons."

Miles froze and looked in awe at the mechs. Starscream looked back at him with an evil grin. He loved to scare humans.

"Awesome!" Was Miles' simple reply. "I always wanted to meet a Decepticon!"

"Aren't you afraid?" Frenzy asked.

"Well, you are not shooting the place down, so I suppose you have come in peace?" Miles said hopefully.

"No, we were just keeping up appearances until we could kidnap you, Miles Lancaster." Skywarp said, crouching next to him and giving the young man the evilest smirk he could muster.

"Eep!" Miles jumped on the spot, releasing Mason. The black seeker started to laugh is aft off.

"Aw, I had forgotten how funny it was to scare people, I still got the touch!" Skywarp laughed. Miles let out a nervous giggle once he realized that the black Decepticon was only playing with him. They had came in peace, but surely they were not as nice as the Autobots, he thought.

"Oh, hello Miles!" Eleonor greeted, coming back into the room. She had known Miles for a short period of time. He was Sam's best friend. And a curious young man, with very eccentric and odd tendencies. But he was very fun to hang out with. At first, he had not been briefed about the existence of Cybertronians, but since Sam was constantly with Bumblebee, it had not taken him a long time to discover the secret. "Oh, and hello Mason." Eleonor added, looking at the dog running happily to greet her, its tail wiggling in content. "Wait, Mason, don't-ugh!"

She couldn't finish the sentence, because the huge mastiff pounced over her, easily pinning her to the floor and covering her with licks.

"Will she be alright?" Frenzy asked, tilting his helm.

"Yes, that's Mason's way of showing how happy he is to see Eleonor again." Miles said dismissively.

Finally, Eleonor succeeded in getting up (or Mason let her go) and managed to arrive back at the table.

"For the love of..." She muttered while cleaning her face from dog slobber with the sleeve of her shirt. She was about to let herself plop onto the chair when Ravage pounced over her. It seemed that he was jealous from Mason and wanted to do the same. "...Primus."

"Why is it that everyone likes to greet you that way?" Frenzy asked innocently, but he was grinning.

"She has animal magnetism. It must be because she is a biologist." Miles hummed, feigning seriousness.

"I give up." Eleonor sighed from the floor. Mason was again licking her face and Ravage was nuzzling against her and purring loudly. "I'll stay on the floor so that you can't knock me down again."

Starscream smirked at her predicament and resisted the urge of saving her. After all, they were not hurting her.

"Well, and where is Sam?" Miles asked, changing the subject.

"I have no idea. Honestly." Mikaela grinned. "He must be hiding somewhere in the base."

"I understand." Miles leaned his head on a hand in a thoughtful gesture. "What a pity. I brought a film to watch it together."

"Which film?" Thundercracker asked curious.

"Batman: the dark knight. It's the second part of Batman begins."

"Oh, I watched the first one. It was good." The blue seeker said thoughtfully, and something occurred to him. "Why don't we watch it now?"

"Woah. I never thought that Decepticons would like movies." Miles said in awe.

"The movie or we destroy the base. Your choice. Both are pleasant ways to spend the time." Starscream added, his optics flashing bright red and an evil smirk adorning his features.

"Eep! The movie, the movie!"

* * *

><p>And exactly twenty-three minutes after the film had started, Eleonor was fast asleep, curled among the cushions of the couch, as Thundercracker had planned. The movie was very interesting and full of action, but the tiredness had won.<p>

::Your plan worked out well:: Starscream said to his trine-mate through their bond.

::Of course:: Thundercracker smirked back. ::I know you were worried too. You know, you don't have to act so cold with her::

::I don't act cold:: Starscream replied defensively.

::Yes, you do:: The blue seeker insisted.

::I have a reputation to maintain::

::Star, seriously. Skywarp hanging around with Mikaela. A little human girl sticking band-aids all over Soundwave's face-mask. Ravage teaming up with a dog to pin down Eleonor. Optimus and Megatron planning things together... I think nobody is going to pay much attention to you if you decide to treat her a little less... coldly::

::She's fine::

::Of course she is fine. She never complains:: Thundercracker said tiredly.

::And why do you suddenly care so much?:: Starscream inquired.

Thundercracker sighed some static through the bond. ::Nothing. It doesn't matter::

The trine-leader was not quite convinced, but let the matter drop.

Half an hour later, the movie ended, and Eleonor awakened just in time to see the credits passing by.

"Oh, I missed the movie." She regretted.

"How are you feeling?" Mikaela asked.

"Actually, quite better after the nap." Eleonor smiled as she stretched. She honestly felt much better now that she had rested for a while. She gently pushed Mason off of her and proceeded to tidy her hair.

At that moment Megatron, Shockwave, Optimus and ironhide arrived at the dining hangar.

"Where is the Librarian?" Thundercracker asked, not seen the old mech anywhere.

"He is in the med-bay. Ratchet wanted to make him a full scan, claiming that he was too old to be space-travelling across the galaxies." Optimus replied.

"Don't tell me, he got a smack to the helm." Starscream intervened, smirking.

"Exactly. And Ratchet counterattacked with a wrench." Ironhide grinned. "It was _epic_."

"I want footage of the moment." The beige seeker smirked deviously, rubbing his servos together.

"Oh no. I know that smirk. What are you up to?" Megatron groaned.

"Nothing important. Just making a list of the mechs that have already received the wrath of the old Librarian. Complete with footage of the moments."

"And this is what my ruthless army of bloodthirsty Decepticons do when they are not at war." Megatron sighed.

"Well, it is preferable." Optimus commented nonchalantly.

"And where are the Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Barricade, Knock Out and Breakdown?" The Prime asked.

"Over here!" Knock Out cheered suddenly from the entrance of the hangar.

"What the... _frag_?" Ironhide stared dumbfounded at the newly arrived group of mechs. Almost all of them were covered in splashes of paint of different colors.

"We have discovered paintball! cybertronian-size, of course." The red medic explained with a smug grin.

"And why are you the only one that is completely clean?"

"Because I'm the fastest and more agile machine around here!" Knock out smirked, placing a servo on his hip.

"And the fact that poor Breakdown has _twice_ the average quantity of paint splashes all over his frame doesn't mean anything." Starscream observed in amusement. Breakdown sighed, shuttering his optics momentarily and his shoulders dropped a little.

"I. Want." Skywarp said, his optics wide and bright. The lambo twins complied with a smirk, and each one handed the black seeker one of their rifles. Skywarp laughed evilly, now armed with twin paint-weapons.

Optimus let out an aggravated sigh.

"Megatron, you have broken the balance of the Universe... Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Skywarp on the _same base_. Armed with paint-guns." Optimus said, all seriousness.

"Anyone of you shoots at me with that things and I will personally rip out his spark. Autobot or Decepticon. Ceasefire or not. Is that understood?" Megatron growled, his crimson optics narrowing dangerously. The painted mechs nodded quickly. "Now, get out of here!"

"Skywarp." Starscream called his black trine-mate, grabbing him by an arm before he could leave. "Do you realize that if you get dirty, you will have to take a _bath_ to clean all that paint?"

Skywarp's wings stiffened and then dropped low, cringing at the thought.

"Don't worry, 'Warp!" Mikaela said cheerily from the couch. "You don't have to get in the pool. I can scrub you later and use a hose. You'll like it. At least Bumblebee does."

The yellow scout whined in protest and beeped sadly.

"Yay! I play paint-ball, I get a wash and Bumblebee gets jealous! Three in one!" The black seeker trotted to the outside.

Megatron looked back at Mikaela and arched an optic ridge.

"Decepticons, if you can't win them, join them." The girl shrugged.

"Traitor!" Ironhide exclaimed, stabbing an accusatory finger in her direction, but he was smirking.

"I must confess that I find human femmes amusing. They seem weaker than their counterparts, but they are, by far, the bravest." Megatron admitted. Mikaela grinned proudly. "But they are, sadly, equally _squishable_." He added, breaking the magic of the compliment and reminding the girl where she stood. "So, anymore 'useless paperwork', as you call it, that needs to be done, Optimus?" He asked, turning his attention back to the Autobot Leader.

"There is still a few arrangements, but we'll leave them for tomorrow. I still have some other matters to attend here today." Optimus replied. "We have earned ourselves a rest for now."

"Optimus Prime!" Said suddenly a new female voice, her tone of infinite indignation. And for the surprise of all the present mechs, the Autobot Leader had the grace to stiffen.

"Miss Mearing. What a... _pleasant_ surprise." Optimus saluted back, turning to face the woman that had just entered, followed by her hapless assistant and a couple of soldiers. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

"Well, I have just discovered three things." She replied, her tone severe and her stance rigid and unafraid, not in the least daunted by the huge cybertronians surrounding her. "One: you have some sick sense of humor. Two: there is a huge spaceship parked near the base. Three: I haven't been informed. Anything to say in your defense?" She finalized with a deadly glare.

"Hmm... happy April's fools day?" Optimus replied quickly. Too quickly.

"You may have a sense of humor, Optimus Prime, but I, however, do not." Mearing deadpanned, placing her hands on her hips.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Sorry about the delay. I've had exams. So, everyone is planning things! Some of them keys retrievals, and others parties. I wonder what will come out of this. I personally think that this chapter was not very interesting, but it was a necessary transition. Next one will be better, I hope. Let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestion for the party! Your reviews encourage me a lot and bring me happiness, and I always reply them. BTW, I love Eleonor's animal magnetism.


	16. Enjoy

Chapter 16: Enjoy

Megatron observed with infinite amusement how his former enemy was lectured by a single human femme, her gaze never leaving the Autobot Leader, her stance never shrinking back.

"Look, Optimus Prime." She finally said, looking away momentarily and pinching the bridge of her nose for a few seconds, trying to cool down. "I personally don't dislike you. And I think that having you and your kind here can be beneficial for both of our species. But there is some _protocol_ that we like to follow. And that protocol dictates that I must be consulted, or at least _informed_ of everything. I am the Director of National Intelligence of the United States, for god's sake. Can you imagine my horror when the team in Washington called me asking for a huge spaceship parked at the Autobot Base?" She made a dramatic pause. "Do you know what I answered?" Her hands balled into fists so tightly that her knuckles were white. "I answered that _I didn't know_. I had no idea."

She put her glasses aside and rubbed her temples.

"My job is to know _everything_. New spaceships, new arrivals, new constructions, etc. And if I am not informed about everything, I am failing at my job. And I don't like failing at my job." She sighed and regained her stern expression. "So, _please_, Optimus. Enlighten me."

The Autobot Leader vented a sigh very slowly in a defeated gesture.

"Very well, Miss Mearing. We'll brief you _privately_ in the conference room." Optimus looked at Megatron apologetically. It seemed that there was not going to be a rest for them that afternoon.

The Decepticon leader was about to tell Optimus to go and frag himself, but he decided not to. After all, he was trying very hard to keep up a good image. And he had to admit that that bitter human femme was amusingly overbearing. He pinged Starscream. The seeker looked back at him, standing attention.

::Come with me. Bring your pet. She may be useful:: Megatron told his Second in Command through the comm. link.

Optimus lowered a servo to offer Mearing a lift, mostly out of politeness.

"No, thank you. I prefer walking." She declined the offer, and started to walk, headed to the conference room.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, they were again at the conference room. Optimus had called Prowl, who was doing a good job in keeping a straight face, because he didn't like that woman at all. Megatron was accompanied by Starscream, who had been carrying Eleonor in a servo, but left her on the floor once they arrived at their destiny.<p>

"Well." Said the old woman, climbing up the stairs until she reached the elevated platform that the human staff used to speak to the cybertronians more comfortably. "Tell me." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the Autobot Leader.

"What you see docked outside is a Decepticon spaceship." Optimus said, avoiding to use the more accurate term 'battle-cruiser'.

"What?" She screeched in outrage, making Eleonor flinch in her spot on the floor. "You told us that the Decepticons had left Earth for good!"

"And we did." Megatron intervened suddenly.

"You..." Mearing hissed, turning to look at the Decepticon Leader, narrowing her cold eyes behind her glasses. "I didn't say anything at first because I thought that it was possible for cybertronians to share a similar frame. But you are _Megatron_. How _dare_ you to show up in our planet after what you did in Mission City and in Egypt!" She turned to glare at Optimus again. "And how can you _permit_ it? I took you for a stricter leader."

"I don't know the rest of you, but I'm not going to get scolded by a human." Starscream huffed in annoyance. He didn't like that authoritarian woman at all.

"And you must be the _infamous_ Starscream. There is also a good account of human casualties below your name in my reports." Mearing continued, bristling.

"Infamous!" The beige seeker exclaimed, shocked by the unusual adjective. Megatron for his part was too amused to stop her rant right now. It seemed that that woman had something in stock for everyone in that room.

"And you, Miss Eleonor Guerrero Mendoza." Mearing looked down to glare at the young woman from the platform. Eleonor flinched in reflex. "I have also read about you in my reports. You like playing with the big robots, don't you, little girl? Once a renowned scientist, now aligned with the enemy of your own race. What a shame!" She hissed venomously. The young woman lowered her gaze to the floor.

"Miss Mearing, I thought that you wanted some explanations." Prowl intervened, his tone professional and calm. That didn't save him from the old woman's withering glare, though. "If you could be so kind to let us speak for a minute, we could explain the situation at hand."

The Intelligence Director glared at the Autobot Second in Command for some long seconds.

"Fine." She finally said, crossing her arms, and looking back at Optimus expectantly.

"First of all, the Decepticons will only stay on Earth for two days. After that, they will leave. During that time, they will be remain at our base." Optimus explained.

"And why have they come?"

"They have agreed to a ceasefire. We are making peace treaties." Optimus said bluntly. A glint of shock crossed Mearing's features for a brief second. "I thought this should be good news to hear."

"They should be. If they were true." She narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "What proof do we have that they speak the truth, and won't try to take over our planet again?"

"Oh, by the Allspark. Optimus, how can you put up with this nonsense everyday? I'm starting to feel _pity_ for my former enemy, for Primus' sake!" Megatron intervened, stepping forward and approaching the platform where the old woman was standing. "Listen, human. I'm getting tired of this. And I neither have the time, nor the patience." He rested one of his clawed servos just next to her, on the railing of the platform, denting it under the pressure. If Mearing was scared, she didn't show it the slightest. "This rock has no value for us. We have our own planet. Much cleaner and without human vermin on it. I don't know about you, but I keep my word. And I have agreed to a ceasefire that extends to your kind, as much as it displeases me." He made a pause to let that sink. "We are leaving in two days. If we are still here by then, you can complain as much as you want. But until know, I'd suggest you to wait comfortably."

"You have killed many humans. Why should I listen to you?" Mearing stood her ground, her cold eyes never leaving Megatron's piercing glare.

"And why should we listen to you?" Eleonor intervened suddenly, stepping onto the platform. She had climbed up the stairs without been noticed. Mearing turned to glare at her, indignation seeping of her stance. "You represent a _country_. By the way, not a whole _planet_. A country that had been in more wars and killed more lives than Autobots and Decepticons together. A country that had been at war with some other countries that are now your allies. And you are now honestly going to oppose this peace negotiations?"

Mearing walked in Eleonor's direction until she was looming over the younger woman, her high heels giving her advantage. Eleonor didn't back off, although judging by her heart-rate Starscream knew that she was terrified.

"You are the clever type, aren't you?" Mearing hissed. "Not a silly teenager. Not a brainwashed soldier."

Eleonor finally looked away under the scrutinizing glare of the Intelligence Director, her initial resolve crumbling under her stern figure. Mearing reached up a hand and caught Eleonor's chin, lifting her head a little harshly and making the younger woman look back at her again.

Starscream growled dangerously and his wings flickered. He was about to intervene when Megatron stopped him, putting an arm before him.

"But here's a piece of advice for the next time: _never_ look away. It makes you look weak. Predators never look away when they have decided to hunt down a prey." Mearing smirked and released Eleonor's chin. Then, she turned to face the two faction leaders. "_Two days_." She said in a warning tone. "Don't disappoint me."

"I never disappoint." Megatron smirked back, watching the old woman as she came down the stairs and exited the hangar through a human-sized door. She didn't even said good-bye.

"What did just happen, exactly?" Prowl asked rhetorically.

"I know I am a spark-less Decepticon, but I would not desire this woman not even for my worst enemy! I swear, I was about to tear my audio receptors off!" Starscream complained. "How can you put up this this, Optimus?"

"With patience... and tuning out the half of what she says." The Autobot Leader sighed.

"Oh my god... She is so scary... What have I done..." Eleonor muttered, letting herself drop onto the floor, all her previous confidence lost. Starscream chuckled slightly at her crumbled state, and gently picked her up with two claws, placing the young woman in his servos again.

"I like her." Megatron smirked unexpectedly, after a long thoughtful silence. The rest of the present mechs looked back at him, their expressions varying from utter shock, disgust, irrational fear and horror.

* * *

><p>"Goddammit Sam! You can't hide here forever!" Mikaela huffed in annoyance, fruitlessly trying to drag her boyfriend along with her and Miles. They had decided to look for Sam, and since his mobile phone was out of range, they had deduced that the boy was in the underground bunker. They had been right. But making him leave was proving to be another feat in its own.<p>

"Nooooo!" Sam wailed, clinging to the door-frame with all his might.

"But we have seen them and they had been nice! Well, almost nice... Let's say that they are not setting the base on fire or something like that." Miles argued, grabbing Sam by one leg and pulling.

"They've got nothing against you, but I killed their Leader once and thwarted his plans a second time! They won't be happy at all to see me! Specially Megatron" Sam continued whining.

"And you literally _died_ for a minute or so! And so did Optimus, and Megatron! Jeez! Dying is so mainstream nowadays!" Mikaela shook her head at her own words. "But my point is, that now you are even. Come on, how can you be such a coward?" She started pulling the other leg. "Let the door-frame go, for god's sake!

"I do not want!"

"And poor Bumblebee is so alone and sad without you!" Mikaela decided to play the 'poor Bumblebee' card. She knew that his yellow guardian was his weak spot.

"Really?" Sam paused his wails to look at Mikaela and Miles with a concerned expression. His girlfriend nodded with a well feigned sorrowful look.

"Yes, poor 'Bee is so bored that he had been playing paint-ball the whole afternoon with that police-car 'Con." Miles added casually. Sam gasped dramatically.

"Traitor!" Sam hissed.

"Now!" Mikaela and Miles shouted at unison, and with a mighty pull, Sam's hands slipped from the door-frame and he fell to the floor with a loud thud. "Finally!"

"Noooooooooo!" Sam continued wailing as he was dragged over the Base's floor, his hands fruitlessly trying to find any fissure or seam to grab.

* * *

><p>Prowl had returned to his duties, glad that the insufferable Intelligence Director had finished her scolding session with them. He was also glad that the problem had been solved without anyone blowing a gasket or been volatilized and to be back at his normal working post, the monitor room. From there, he could control the entire base from the camera feeds of the multiple security cameras and sensors that plagued the Autobot facilities.<p>

It filled him with a pleasurable feeling of been in control, to be able to track his former enemies' location from the quietness of the monitor room. Of course he was happy as everyone that the Decepticons were trying something for the well-been of their race as a whole for once. But all those thousands of years of war were difficult to forget, and he didn't like to let his guard down with potential threats in his own base.

There was also another reason why he was glad to be in his working post again. To be far from Megatron. Not that he didn't trust Optimus judgement, but the Decepticon Leader made him feel very uncomfortable. He couldn't forget his crimes. And he couldn't forget that he almost, _almost_ off-lined Jazz several years ago. If it wasn't for Ratchet and his unrivaled medical skills, he would have surely died.

"Jazz..." He murmured for himself, looking at the terminals. He couldn't find the sleek silver mech in any of the screens. "Where are you...?"

"Right behind ya."

Prowl door-wings stiffened in surprise.

"Jazz." He said, his voice calm and cool as always, turning in his chair to look at the newly arrived mech. "Don't sneak upon me, please. I've told you thousands of times."

"And Ah will continue doin' it." Jazz smirked, his visor flashing in amusement as he came closer. Prowl shot him a withering look, but the silver mech was immune to them. "So, how was da meetin'?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Unexpectedly short. Mearing scolded everyone, then Optimus explained the situation, Megatron and Mearing had a stare-down contest, Eleonor intervened with a smart comment and Mearing left, not without scaring the life out of Eleonor in retaliation." Prowl summarized efficiently.

"Woah. And no one got shot." Jazz whistled.

"Well, Starscream surely had murderous wishes for Mearing, but Megatron kept him in check."

"How over-protective." The silver mech chuckled. "And what about ya? Ah know ya don't do well near Megsy." He added, with mild concern.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Prowl replied, with a dismissive gesture.

"Are ya sure?" Jazz asked again, this time softer, and accompanied the question with a slight caress to Prowl's door-wings. Prowl instinctively leaned into the touch, a soft purr escaping his engine. "Well, if ya feel so fine, Ah guess Ah should go back to da spa. After all, my shift has ended." He said carelessly, and turned to leave.

Prowl groaned and cursed himself.

"Wait."

Jazz smirked and his visor flashed mischievously.

They were so engrossed with each other that they didn't notice that in one of the monitors, two young humans were dragging a third one in a dangerous direction.

* * *

><p>Optimus had left momentarily to escort Mearing out of the Base. That left Megatron, Starscream and Eleonor with Shockwave, who had been waiting outside the conference room for the meeting to end.<p>

"The crap the Autobots have to put up with... sheesh... If I were Optimus, I would have shown those insects a long time ago what happens with the ones who mess with cybertronians." Starscream grumbled, making Eleonor smile softly.

"Yes, diplomacy was never one of your strong points." Megatron said carelessly, making his Second in Command growl at him.

"Human management is highly inefficient. They definitely could use some advice." Shockwave said calmly.

At that moment they started to hear cries and wails coming out of the nearest hangar until three young humans appeared, rounding a corner.

"Release meeee! I just want to go back to the safety of the bunker!" Sam whined.

"No, you won't." Mikaela snapped back. "You will come out and socialize. Besides, Optimus is always near Megatron, just in case he decides to do something bad. You'll be safe."

"Oh, what a treat." Megatron intervened suddenly, his deep voice rumbling in delight. "Coincidentally when Optimus leave me alone for a minute to escort that annoying bureaucrat."

The three young humans froze instantly and looked up to discover the Decepticon Leader looming over them with a devious smirk.

"M-Megatron..." Sam stuttered, sticking with his girlfriend and his best friend. Mikaela cursed her luck. She just wanted to get Sam out of the bunker. Bumping into the Decepticon Leader was not on her plans at all.

"Sam Witwicky..." Megatron said, savouring every syllable as he walked slowly around the three terrified humans, like a predator would stalk his prey. "Do you think Optimus would miss one of his human pets if I... stepped _accidentally_ on it, Starscream?" He asked, glancing at the seeker with complicity.

"Hmm... maybe not this one. I've heard he's not very useful around here." Starscream replied with an uninterested gesture of his free servo. Eleonor watched the scene with mild concern. She honestly hoped that the Decepticon Leader and his Second were just toying with the poor boy.

"Wait. Was this the human that delayed our plans on Earth four years ago?" Shockwave asked, adding himself to the role-play.

Sam had never seen the cyclops mech before. But his cold voice, his single terrifying optic and his huge arm-gun, whirling slowly, told Sam that it was not a mech to joke around with.

"Yes, he is..." Megatron smirked, kneeling near the three humans to have a better look at them.

"Shall I terminate?" Shockwave asked, his voice icy.

"No, no, no, wait, look, I know you must be pissed off with me, it's understandable, I would be very angry too if I were in your place, specially since I... well... helped Optimus to kill you..." Sam paused his rant for a second. "On a second thought... wait, let me start again!"

"Don't kill him yet, Shockwave, this is by far too amusing to stop it right now." Starscream smirked evilly.

"What I wanted to say was that, well, I kind of killed you, then you were revived, then you killed Optimus, I died too for a minute or so, but the power of the Matrix sent me back to revive Optimus... Come on, we are _even_ now! Can't we just... let the past behind, uh?" Sam said quickly, the color draining from his face. "Everyone of us has already paid a high price for their mistakes."

The Decepticon Leader chuckled darkly at Sam's pathetic attempts to calm him down.

"In my opinion, you have not paid enough for your transgressions." Megatron hissed dangerously, leaning closer. "Oh, how I would enjoy tearing you apart, limb by limb." He whispered, nudging Sam gently with the back of a claw. The young man flinched, but was too scared to run away.

Then, Megatron just retreated and stood, turning his back to the three humans and approaching slowly to his Second in Command and his Lieutenant.

"Y-you are not... doing anything to me?" Sam stuttered, still in disbelief. Megatron chuckled darkly again.

"Why, my friend, should I kill you now?" He replied, turning and rewarding the humans with a half smirk. "When letting you live is, by far, a worse punishment?" Sam stared at him in shock, not understanding the Decepticon Leader's plans yet. "Think about it. If I kill you know, the Autobots will blame me, and try to get revenge on me." He started to explain. "But if I let you live, how much longer will you live? Sixty years? Maybe seventy if you are lucky?" Megatron rumbled a cruel laughter. "And when your time comes, it won't be my fault. There won't be anyone to blame, and no one will be able to save you." He reveled in the pained expression of the three humans. "Yes, that sounds like a more cruel punishment. I only need a little patience. Humans don't live for too long anyway. You can live at peace, Sam Witwicky. No harm will come to you from my part. You have my word." The last sentence was said in a tone that made their hair stood on end.

The three young humans said nothing more, and slowly disappeared from the Decepticon Leader's presence, their expressions coated with sorrow.

If Megatron had not been watching the humans leave, reveling in their disheartened state, he would have seen Starscream's wings dropping low, and Eleonor's face also filled with sadness.

* * *

><p>"I still don't quite understand why we are doing this." Barricade grumbled, crouched on the floor, handling the cabling of a big speaker.<p>

"Because it will be fun!" Knock out cheered, practising some dancing moves he had just learned from the human Internet on the recently set up stage. "I thought you were proud of two things: your speed and your dancing skills."

"My speed and my _fighting_ skills, you red quack doctor." The police mimic huffed.

"I wouldn't pick on someone who may be toying with your inner workings if I were you." Sunstreaker whispered to Barricade, leaning on his right shoulder-plate.

"Yeah, specially if he has a bodyguard four times heavier than you." Sideswipe added, leaning on Barricade's left shoulder and pointing to Breakdown, who was helping Bumblebee with the cybertronian-sized furniture.

"Arhg!" Barricade snarled, rising from the floor shaking the twins off of him. "What are you two, my conscience?"

"Barricade: behave." A deep emotionless voice said suddenly, making everyone flinch in surprise, stop what they were doing and look at the blue and silver mech who had just arrived at the hangar.

"Soundwave!" Blaster exclaimed from his spot at the mixing console. "Uh... we were just preparing a little celebration for tomorrow. You are not going to tell Megatron or Optimus, are you? It's a surprise party."

Blaster and Soundwave exchanged looks for a long minute. They both were Communications Officers of their respective factions and worked with symbionts, although their personalities were radically different. Blaster was extrovert, energetic and cheerful. He loved to dance and listen to music with his external speakers. Soundwave, on the contrary, was shy, calm and silent. He also enjoyed music, but he preferred to keep his tastes for himself, listening to it only from his internal audio.

They had known each other before the war, but the circumstances had placed then in opposite factions. Blaster even had considered Soundwave a good friend. But after all those years of war, he doubted that there was anything left of his old friend inside that frame.

Soundwave scrutinized the area, his visor flashing brightly, his thoughts still a mystery. Everymech held their metaphorical breaths. If Soundwave didn't approve of their little celebration, Megatron and Optimus would be surely informed, and they may oppose the idea.

"Suggestion: get another mixing console." The blue and silver mech said suddenly, his voice betraying no emotions, but the message was clear. He approved. And he was _in_.

"Yeah! We are going to have a Dj battle!" Knock Out cheered, raising a fist into the air in a triumphant pose. "And Soundwave is going to win!"

"No way! Blaster is the best Dj around here!" Sunstreaker complained.

Soundwave ignored them, and picked up another speaker, placing it in an appropriate place and neatly setting the cabling.

"Thank you, old friend." Blaster said quietly to the Decepticon Third in Command.

The blue and silver mech just nodded in silent reply, and continued with the setting of the sound system.

* * *

><p>Optimus made his way back to where he had left Megatron, Shockwave and Starscream and let out a small sight of relief when he arrived and found them on the same place, without any sign of fighting.<p>

"Sorry about that." The Autobot Leader apologized. Megatron only grunted in acknowledgement. "Well, I guess we have earned ourselves a rest for now. The rest of the formalities that must be dealt with I can do it by myself tomorrow."

"I'm glad to hear that." Megatron said honestly. They have been planning strategies and dealing with several different paperwork since they arrived.

"Where are you and your troops going to recharge tonight?" Optimus asked, glancing at the horizon, and seeing that the sun was about to set. "Shall I assign you some of our empty hangars?"

"Thank you for your hospitality, Optimus, but I, for my part, don't trust your soldiers or the humans enough to let my guard down among them." Megatron said. "I'll spend the night in my ship. My troops will decide for themselves, but I suspect that most of them will do the same."

"Are you leaving now?" The Autobot Leader asked.

"Yes, but first, I want to try out that diversion of yours, the _spa_, I think it was called." Megatron smirked.

"Well then, until tomorrow." Optimus shook his helm in amusement and smiled faintly. "Just remember that there are security cameras all over the base." He added, and turned to leave.

Megatron watched the Autobot Leader disappear from sight and then turned to Starscream.

"I know you seekers do not enjoy water. You are dismissed, Starscream." He said. "Come on, Shockwave."

The beige seeker bowed his helm slightly and left his Leader, not without catching sight of the surprised expression in Shockwave's single optic. 'By the Pits he cares about seeker's issues with water. He wants to be alone with Shockwave!' He thought for himself.

* * *

><p>"So, what is this thing called again?" Alpha Trion asked, inspecting the big screen with infinite curiosity.<p>

"A television." One of the Arcee triplets replied, coming closer. "It receives signal from a satellite, and you can see many different channels with it."

"About what?"

"News, movies, educative programs... everything." She explained, switching between different channels to illustrate her point.

"Interesting." The old Prime hummed, stroking his long beard-like face-plates.

Skywarp, Thundercracker, Frenzy and Ravage were also with them, quietly playing video-games in the nearest monitor. Well, actually it was more like Skywarp and Frenzy slagging each other in a fighting video-game while Thundercracker and Ravage fought the boredom and the urge to recharge.

At that moment arrived Sam, Mikaela and Miles, their expressions gloomy.

"Oh, hi again, Ladiesman217." Frenzy smirked from his perch over the black seeker's shoulder-plate.

"I'm not in the mood, Frenzy." Sam murmured, as he plopped onto the nearest couch with Mikaela and Miles.

"What happened?" Thundercracker asked, arching an optic-ridge.

Sam looked back at the blue seeker. He didn't know him. But he knew a little about his trine-mates. Starscream was plain mean and cruel with everyone who was not Eleonor and Skywarp liked to pull pranks and scare humans.

"Are you going to make fun of me too?" Sam asked defensively.

"Aw, man. You are talking with the only seeker that has no sense of humor." Skywarp piped in, earning a glare from his trine-mate.

"No." The blue seeker stated, looking back at the three humans.

"We... met with Megatron on our way here." Mikaela admitted.

Frenzy paused the game and looked back at the humans.

"You saw the Boss. And the Boss saw you?" The small silvery mech asked.

"Yeah... we even talked." Sam replied.

"And you are still alive? Man, I'd be _grateful_ if I were in your skin, not gloomy." Frenzy said, this time seriously.

"But he said horrible things to us." Miles said quietly.

"What did you three expect? That Megatron would appear one day over here and suddenly turn all sweet and kind, with sparkles and pink ribbons?" Skywarp smirked.

"Skywarp, please, you are going to make me glitch." Thundercracker frowned at his brother. "But what you say is true." He continued, looking back at the humans. "We have been at war for too long. Lord Megatron has started to make things right lately, keeping in mind the well-been of our race as a whole, this I can assure you. However, he has never been a kind mech. Don't expect him to be now. If you want kind words, go to Optimus."

Sam looked to the floor, still gloomy, but understanding the blue seeker's reasoning.

"What did he say to you, anyway?" Skywarp asked.

"He basically told me that he won't bother in killing me because it was better to let me die from age... I mean... I know it's the truth... but still, it hurts to be reminded of it." Sam replied hesitantly.

"Stupid boy." Frenzy snapped suddenly, pausing the game again. "Do you think that's bad for you? You'll be happily dead and enjoying sweet oblivion! You won't suffer your death. The ones who will suffer will be those who remain here. Your cybertronian friends who will have to watch you wither and die without remedy."

Sam stiffened.

"Were Starscream and Eleonor there too?" Thundercracker asked softly, with a small sigh.

"Yes."

"'Screamer is going to be upset." Skywarp murmured, his wings dropping low.

* * *

><p>"Optimus wasn't joking when he said that this was very enjoyable." Megatron admitted, shifting his most external armor-plating, so that the warm water could reach his inner workings better. He and Shockwave were submerged to their necks in the deepest part of the pool.<p>

The cyclops mech, for his part, was specially pleased that his Leader was, at long last, taking some time to relax. Megatron had endured very tense moments lately, and he deserved a small break. Of course it was normal that he had to grapple with a lot of issues daily, after all, he was the Leader of the Decepticons. But he also needed to stop once a while and enjoy the small pleasures of life.

Shockwave rose his arm-cannon from the pool, making it whirl slowly, letting the water reach every gear. Then, spotting an abandoned bucket on a crate at the other side of the pool, he aimed his cannon carefully and...

...With a quick shift of the barrel he shot a water projectile that hit the bucket right in the middle.

"I didn't know you could do that." Megatron said, his tone laced with amusement.

"Neither did I." Shockwave muttered back, also amused with the new discovery.

The Decepticon Leader chuckled low, and then they fell in a peaceful silence, enjoying the warm water.

"We need one of these pools in Kaon." Megatron said finally. "If not for relaxing, for dumping Starscream inside." He smirked. Shockwave chuckled quietly.

"He has been a good Second in Command lately." The cyclops mech remarked.

"Yes, he has been." Megatron admitted after a while. "He can be scathing and disrespectful sometimes, but at least he is no longer trying to back-stab me in my recharge. And he is one of the few who have the guts to question my plans, offering advices, alternatives and improvements. The other two are Soundwave and you, Shockwave."

The cyclops mech bowed his helm slightly, grateful for the compliment. It was extremely rare to see Megatron in the mood of praising someone.

"Speaking of offering advices." Shockwave said quietly. "I couldn't care less about the humans of this base, as long as they don't get under my feet. But that last comment directed to the three humans, also hurt Starscream. You know he is quite fond of his pet."

Megatron sighed slowly.

"I realized that as soon as I said it." The Decepticon Leader admitted. "I hate that human boy, but I honestly don't have anything against Starscream's pet. She has done nothing but help us. And I am not one to reject an ally, as small as it may be."

"It's not too late to send a quick apology note to Starscream through your comm. link." Shockwave suggested.

"I guess you are right." Megatron grunted, and they fell in a long silence again, while he contacted his Second in Command.

Shockwave continued practising with his water-cannon.

"You know, I don't want things to change. At least not too much." Megatron said after a while.

"What do you mean?"

"Speaking with Optimus again. Starscream making discoveries in the lab. Cybertron flourishing. Me taking a break once a while. That kind of things." He sighed. "I like it better now. Is that wrong?"

"No, it is not." The cyclops mech agreed. Had it been necessary, he would have followed Megatron to the Pit, but he had to admit that he was tired of the endless War. "And when the time comes, I am going to make sure that it stays that way. I am not going to let Unicron to ruin it all." He said with resolve.

"Neither will I." Megatron frowned, resolve written across his face-plates too.

Shockwave stretched absently in the pool, letting the warm water reach deeper into his gears and cogs. Then, he noticed something brush against his leg-plating. Curious, he reached his single servo to pick it up.

Megatron noticed his Lieutenant looking for something under the water and glanced back at him.

"What's this?" The cyclops mech murmured in wonder as he rose his servo and extracted a cybertronian-sized scrubber.

Megatron rose and optic-ridge and smirked.

* * *

><p>Starscream and Eleonor were spending some time alone outside the base, relaxing after a quite hectic day. She was seating on a large empty container, and the seeker was leaning with his back against it.<p>

"So, where is Cybertron from here?" Eleonor asked suddenly, looking up to the night sky, where the first stars were beginning to be visible.

"Hmm." Starscream hummed as he re-calibrated his space navigation and orientation systems. "In that direction. About twelve million light years away."

"Unbelievable." Eleonor whistled. "And we did it in an instant. Cybertronian technology is amazing." She sighed slowly. "So much space and so little time to discover things!"

The seeker gave a sad sigh.

"Sorry about that. Megatron can be a little... tactless sometimes."

"Don't worry. It's the truth. We humans are like that. It can't be helped. And you shouldn't be sad about it." Eleonor said, shaking her head.

"I know. But still... We didn't need to be reminded of it." Starscream said quietly, and he realized at that moment how much Megatron's words had affected him. Any doubt about the fondness and respect that he felt for his human friend dissipated at that moment. It seemed unlikely, but he cared a great deal about her, almost as much as for his trine-mates.

The young woman was in silence for a while, lost in her thoughts.

"You know what we should do?" Eleonor said suddenly, raising from his seated position. Starscream looked back at her questioningly. "We are going to enjoy every moment we have left. We are not going to worry with _if's_ or _when's_. We are just going to continue working hard for what's important, and savour every minute of it." She said, resolve burning in her eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

Starscream chuckled lightly. That was his little assistant. Little and weak in body, but strong in will and spirit.

"We have a deal." He smirked. The future was uncertain, but they could enjoy the present.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** So, what do you think about Mearing? I think that part came out quite well! And I couldn't resist to use that quote of_ 'You like playing with the big robots, don't you, little girl?'_, it makes me squeal like a rubber ducky. And what do you think about the encounter of Megsy and Sam? That was difficult to write. Other enjoyable moments? Sunny and Sides playing Barricade's conscience, and Shockwave's water-gun! Aw man, I am so looking forward to write that party. I accept ideas and suggestions! Let me know what you think! I love reviews! PD: Something tells me that Megsy is going to be very _shiny_ after that bath. PD2: Today is Transformers Prime season 2! I can't wait!


	17. Together

Chapter 17: Together

Bumblebee woke up from recharge the next morning to find a notification in his HUD, alerting him that he had an unread message. He opened it with curiosity.

_'Get ready for a real race. See you at the salt flats at dawn. I've got a prize for the winner. Barricade.'_

Bumblebee rose an optic ridge. What was the police car planning? He had already won the previous race. Was this part of some twisted scheme? He considered alerting Optimus for a moment. But giving it a second thought, it would be wrong to spread mistrust without proof. Specially when the visiting 'Cons were truly trying to behave properly. He decided to go and investigate for himself what were Barricade's plans. If something serious happened, he could always comm. the Base for help.

Dropping into alt-mode, Bumblebee exited his hangar and headed for the salt flats.

When he arrived, he found the Mustang Saleen already doing some test laps in the circuit. Bumblebee approached cautiously. Spoting him, the police car slowed down and came closer to his position.

::What are you up to, Barricade?:: The yellow Camaro asked with suspicion, using his comm. link. as his vocalizer still gave him problems sometimes if he put too much stress into it.

"You let me win yesterday." The police Mustang replied bluntly, his engine revving in a demonstration of his annoyance.

::You were faster:: Bumblebee said, uninterested, sighing warm air through his intakes.

"No. You slowed to avoid ramming into the bushes. I didn't know the circuit. Now I do. And I want a real rematch. Just you and me."

::Has anyone ever told you how competitive you are?:: The yellow Camaro revved his engine, starting to feel annoyed. The police car laughed in amusement.

"Certainly, yes. Come on. Are you _in_? Or are you afraid of loosing against a Decepticon?" Barricade teased.

"I'm not afraidffzhh!" Bumblebee hissed in anger, but his vocalizer betrayed him and faded into static painfully.

"Nice voice, _Autobug_." The police car sneered.

::Decepticreep:: The yellow Camaro growled through the comm. link. ::You are lucky that Optimus has been very strict with his orders about not fighting with any of you!::

"And that leaves you _racing_ as your only way to make me swallow my own words, my friend!" Barricade's engines roared and he sped off past Bumblebee, rising a cloud of dust in his direction.

::I'm not your friend!:: The yellow camaro snarled, and sped behind the police car, his tires slipping briefly over the ground.

The Mustang smiled inwardly. Bumblebee was going to play his game.

Gaining speed gradually, Barricade checked his rear-view mirror. The yellow Camaro was drawing closer. Smirking for himself, he diverted more power to his engines, accompanying the action with a powerful roar.

Bumblebee, for his part, was decided to make that insolent Decepticon eat his dust. He knew he was faster. It was true that he had let the police car win the previous day. But that was not going to happen again. He switched to his last gear.

The race was very thought. Bumblebee was definitely faster, and he managed to surpass the police car in the straight stretches of the circuit. But Barricade demonstrated to have better skills at maneuvering, and he pulled ahead on the bends.

Finally, they arrived to the home stretch, both pushing their engines to the maximum, long trails of dust behind them, the finish line coming closer and closer at great speed.

And Bumblebee crossed the finish first.

It had been only for half a second, but a victory was a victory.

The two cars slowed down gradually, coming to a halt one next to the other, their air intakes expelling the excess heat from their engines, their cooling fans working hard.

Barricade transformed into mech mode and dropped to the ground on his knee-joints, exhausted. Bumblebee did the same, hoping that in that form the heat would dissipate more efficiently.

::I can't remember when was the last time I pushed my engines so hard...:: Bumblebee said quietly, panting through his intakes.

The black and white mech chuckled weakly, to tired to laugh louder.

"I let you win."

::The frag you did!:: Bumblebee snarled through the comm. link and lunged for Barricade, tackling him.

The Decepticon was too shocked and exhausted to react in time, and ended on his back over the ground, with the Autobot on him, pinning him down. Barricade glared at him.

"What happens withzhh you? Can't you accept a defeatzzzhhh?" Bumblebee snapped at him, his vocalizer shorting and hissing static.

"No, I can't!" Barricade snapped back, narrowing his optics.

The kept glaring at each other for several minutes, none of them backing down or moving. The only audible sound where their cooling fans and the metal clicking softly as it cooled.

::What problem do you have with me?:: Bumblebee asked slowly, his frown deepening.

Barricade's frown also deepened.

"Why didn't you finish your job?" He asked after a while.

::What?::

"When we fought. When you were protecting the boy. You beat the slag out of me. But you didn't finish me. Why?" Barricade asked bluntly, his tone calmer but still hateful.

Bumblebee's optics widened in surprise. He didn't imagine that the Decepticon hunter could be still affected by that.

::I do _not_ kill if it is not absolutely necessary. I guess you don't understand it because you are not an Autobot::

"Yeah, I guess we all are mindless killing machines." The black and white mech growled low. They kept glaring at each other for a little longer. "So, are you going to get off me one of these days or are you actually enjoying the position?" He said uninterested.

The yellow scout flinched in embarrassment, glad that his cooling fans had not stopped working during the whole time, because they would have kicked on again. Carefully, he rose and stepped aside.

Barricade got up as soon as he was free, dusting himself off. Reaching into a compartment in his forearm, he extracted a small box and held it between two claws, offering it to Bumblebee.

The Autobot scout looked at the small box as if it was poisoned.

"I told you there was a prize for you if you managed to win me." Barricade stated coldly. Bumblebee seemed still unconvinced. "Do I look like carrying a bomb around while risking crashing into bushes and speeding to the maximum?" He huffed.

The yellow mech finally took the small box and opened it.

And what he saw inside it left him frozen in place.

"I guess not everyone of us are mindless killing machines after all." The Decepticon said over his shoulder, his voice unusually quiet, and started to walk away.

But he didn't make it too far, because almost instantly Bumblebee was tackling him to the ground again.

::Thank you::

"Release me."

::Thank you::

"I don't like hugs."

::Thank you::

"If you tell anyone it was _me_ who brought that to you, I'll rip out your spark."

::Thank you::

"For fragging sake..." Barricade huffed, giving up and revving his engines in annoyance. Bumblebee only purred.

* * *

><p>"So, how is it that Optimus and Megatron are still oblivious to this?" Eleonor asked, while adorning the edges of the human-sized tables with purple and red ribbons.<p>

The three seekers, Soundwave, Blaster, Ravage and Frenzy were currently in the hangar that was been prepared for the party. The Communications Officers were giving the final touches to the sound system. Skywarp was adjusting the lights, spotlights, lasers and visual effects. Thundercracker was adjusting several screens that were set over the walls. Frenzy was painting Decepticon and Autobot insignias all over the room. Ravage was sleeping under a table, and Starscream was lazing around.

"Thanks to _me_." The beige seeker smirked, inspecting his claws in an uninterested gesture.

"I thought you were just been useless." Skywarp said, offended by his trine-leader's apparent lack of usefulness.

"Allow me to enlighten you, my dear brother." Starscream said mischievously, his voice almost purring. "I am the one who is coordinating the Autobots and Decepticons involved in this little act of... _treachery_." He said silkily, choosing his words on purpose to tease Soundwave. They took effect because the Communications Officer glared back at him, his visor brightening briefly. "As you may or may not have noticed, not everyone of us are working here at the same time. When some of us are working, the others are outside, doing whatever it is necessary to distract our leaders. Jazz is distracting Prowl from his monitor duty frequently. Soundwave has set the security cameras of this area into a safe loop. I am constantly tracking Optimus and Megatron's location just in case they approach too much... Also Ironhide and Shockwave's, just in case." He explained. "So, no, I am not lazing around."

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" Thundercracker asked rhetorically.

"_Immensely_." Starscream grinned. "It has been too long since I plotted something against our dear Leader. I was getting rusty."

Eleonor smiled briefly and shook her head in amusement.

* * *

><p>"A little more to your right... no, sorry, my right, your left... ah! There! Right there!" Knock Out's engines were actually purring in delight. "Breaky, are you sure you don't want to try this?"<p>

"Uh... I'm fine." The blue and grey mech replied, a little hesitantly.

The three vainest cybertronians in the Base, that is, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Knock Out had decided that they should be flawless for the party. So, they had tricked Sam, Mikaela and Miles into polishing and waxing them.

Breakdown, for his part, was only there to ensure the red medic's safety. When provoked in battle, the heavy blue and grey mech was a force to be reckoned with. But when out of combat, he was just awkward and shy. And sometimes bordered on paranoia. He was actually a little worried about the humans. He had only known Eleonor, and she seemed nice enough to him. But humans were so small and squishable that he feared damaging them unintentionally.

"This planet surely can make you dirty, but it has a nice cleaning service." The red Aston Martin sighed happily, enjoying the massage of the soft polishing cloth over his hood.

"Hey, we are not your slaves, you know!" Mikaela said, a little offended, slapping the vain Decepticon with the cloth, mostly for show, because that rag couldn't harm him in the least. "We are doing this because Optimus told us to be nice to you all."

"Ouch. You hurt my feelings." Knock Out said, with feigned sadness. "Are you telling me that it is not my charming personality and outstanding appearance what have melted your heart? That you are just following orders?"

Mikaela opened her mouth to snap something, but nothing occurred to her, and she had to close it after a few seconds of just staring there blankly, like a fish out of the water.

"Well, certainly the wax and polish was not on my contract." Miles shrugged, still working on Sunstreaker's hood.

"And I must admit that he has a charming personality." Sam shrugged, giving the final touches to Sideswipe's doors.

"Hah! I'm irresistible!" Knock Out cheered victorious.

"And modest." Breakdown sighed, making Mikaela smile.

"Hmm... fine. But you'll owe me a dance at the party as payment for my services." Mikaela decided, finishing her polish and posing with her hands on her hips.

"You don't know what you are asking for, my dear." Knock Out purred, and the girl grinned wider.

"Why is it that everyone owes something to Mikaela?" Miles asked in wonder.

That last question was still lingering in the air when Bumblebee and Barricade walked into the hangar. Both of them covered in dust, salt and with small scratches and dents.

"What the frag did you two do?" Knock Out growled menacingly. "Weren't you two listening when Optimus and Megatron told us not to fight? You are going to ruin everything!"

"We were not fighting..." Barricade said tiredly. "We were just... smoothing things over..."

"Well, definitely not your paint-jobs." The medic snapped back.

"Are you alright, 'Bee?" Sam asked, still unsure about trusting the black and white mech who had scared the life out of him and his girlfriend in more than one occasion.

The yellow scout beeped cheerily and gave a thumbs-up, playing _'I feel good'_ by James Brown through his speakers.

Knock Out transformed back to mech form.

"Well, never mind. It is fortunate that you happened to pass by this hangar first." The medic said.

"What? Why?" Barricade asked, a little nervous.

"Welcome to the _beauty salon_." The red mech said silkily, with an flamboyant bow.

"Wait! Don't you even dare-" The police mech was getting uncomfortable.

"We are going to make you shine." Sunstreaker piped in.

"I like been dirty!"

"I don't care what you like! I don't know Optimus, but if Megatron sees you like that, he is immediately going to turn you into scrap for picking up a fight, and I'd rather fix some scratches than performing an emergency surgery."

"But-"

"Barricade, I outrank you in health decisions as your medical officer." Knock Out said, his tone turning unusually serious. "Now, drop into your alt form."

The Decepticon hunter let out an aggravated sigh, but complied.

"Bumblebee, you too." The red medic glared at the other scuffed and dented car.

The Autobot scout obeyed with a submissive whine.

"Sam, Mikaela, Miles, could you three give me a hand with these two idiots?" Knock Out asked politely, turning to the humans.

Sam and Mikaela stiffened in reflex. They would gladly do it for Bumblebee, but the police car was simply too much for them.

"Like the Pit those dirty humans are going to land their filthy hands on me!" Barricade barked, revving his engine in outrage.

"I thought you liked been dirty." Sideswipe pointed out.

"No need to worry, Barricade, we are not going anywhere near your chassis, thank you very much." Sam said.

"Listen, we are all putting our differences behind us here. Autobots, Decepticons and humans. For the greater good." Knock Out said, slamming a hand down on the police car's hood. "If you don't want the humans to work on you, fine. Breakdown will help. But I assure you, he won't be as gentle."

Barricade's revving lowered to a submissive rumble.

"Now, that's more like it." The red mech nodded, satisfied.

Breakdown smiled for himself. Knock Out was usually easy going and careless, but he knew how to be serious if the situation needed it. Specially in medical matters.

"Oh my Primus, he can transform into Ratchet..." Sideswipe said quietly to his twin brother.

* * *

><p>"Well, this is ready for tonight." Blaster said, gazing around the perfectly prepared party hangar with pride in his spark.<p>

"Let's lock the doors then." Starscream nodded. "I'll comm. Jazz to tell him all is done. And we'll keep an optic on the area to ensure that no one tries to enter here." He said, as they exited the hangar.

* * *

><p>::Ratchet, may I come in?::<p>

The Autobot medic paused his reading and looked at the door of his med-bay. Sending a wireless command, the doors slid open to reveal an uncomfortably looking yellow scout.

"Well, this is new for me." The elder mech admitted, lowering his datapad and depositing it on his desk. "Someone willingly walking into my med-bay by his own feet."

Bumblebee fidgeted a little on his spot near the door-frame. Knock Out and the humans had repaired and cleaned him first, so he had decided to make Ratchet a visit.

::I... am in need of a repair:: The younger mech said, walking hesitantly into Ratchet's domain, the doors sliding close behind him.

The medic eyed him carefully.

"Externally you seem to be in good condition. Better than good, actually. Did you have a wax today?" He asked. Bumblebee nodded. "So, is an internal damage what needs to be repaired?"

::Something like that...:: Bumblebee said quietly. Ratchet looked at him suspiciously. ::But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this. That thing about patience confidentiality... you know...::

They locked gazes for some seconds.

::Please::

"Alright. Just tell me what is bothering you."

Bumblebee extracted a small box from a compartment in his forearm and handed it to Ratchet. The medic arched an optic-ridge, and took the box, opening it and peeking inside with curiosity. And his optics widened.

"Who brought you this?" He asked in astonishment.

::I can't say::

The medic transformed his right servo into more delicate surgical tools and picked up the small component inside the box, bringing it up to inspect it closely.

"It's unused. Brand new. And just your frame-type model." Ratchet exclaimed.

::I know::

"Who could possibly...?"

::I've told you I can't say::

Ratchet sighed softly and smiled briefly.

"Well, I suppose you want it installed ASAP."

Bumblebee nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>"I wouldn't believe it if I weren't seeing it." Starscream murmured, peeking inside the beauty salon, Eleonor nested in his servos.<p>

Barricade revved his engine in annoyance, making the three humans who were at that moment leaning over him jump in terror, Sam squealing in a very undignified manner.

"We had no choice. Knock Out threatened us. He can be like the Decepticon version of Ratchet if he wants to." Mikaela said defensively.

"I am nothing like that old rusted medic." Knock Out chuckled, pausing from his work and stopping the electric polisher he had been using. "I am more handsome and shinier, my skills are far superior and my chosen alt-form is, by far, the most beautiful." He grinned. "Yeah, I'm the best."

"And the most modest!" Sunstreaker and Sideswipe cheered at unison.

"Hey, that's Breakdown's job!" The red medic exclaimed.

A sudden snort of barely contained laughter made everyone stop and look at the shy huge blue and grey mech, who immediately covered his mouth with a servo.

"Woah, you made Breakdown laugh." Eleonor said quietly.

"Breaky!" Knock Out cheered gleefully. "I thought you forgot your humor in Cybertron. Welcome back!"

They were still chuckling when Starscream's wings stiffened suddenly.

"What happens?" Eleonor asked, sensing the beige seeker's stance change.

"Lord Megatron and Shockwave have left the Nemesis." Starscream replied.

"Oh, they surely don't like to get up early. It's almost twelve o'clock." Mikaela intervened.

"Silence, you foolish girl." The beige seeker hissed. "The problem is that they are approaching the..." He lowered his voice. "...secret party hangar!"

"Oh noes!" Miles exclaimed. "What do we do?"

"I'm calling Skywarp and Thundercracker." Starscream replied, his optics dimming as he focused on his trine-bond. The hangar door was closed, but they couldn't risk and accidental discovery.

* * *

><p>Skywarp and Thundercracker were at that moment at the 'Aerialbots' den', as Jazz had named it.<p>

The blue seeker had not been very amused with the idea, specially because of their past and with the War still fresh in everymech's memory banks. The airborne part of the conflict had been waged mainly between seekers and aerialbots. They had been literally trying to kill each other for thousands of years. But Skywarp, who had never been a mech capable of holding grudges for too long, had insisted in doing some 'tourism' and making new friends, and had dragged him along.

And there they were.

Two seekers and three aerialbots, Silverbolt, Air Raid and Breakaway.

Staring awkwardly at each other. Stances tense. Wings stiff. Servos balled into tight fists.

"I just can't believe the nerve you two have." Silverbolt finally spoke, after a very long silence, his voice calm and controlled. He was the leader of the Aerialbots, and very protective over his team. "You are too brave or too stupid."

"Skywarp is the stupid one." Thundercracker sighed, pointing to his trine-mate with a servo. The black seeker shot him an offended look.

"So, you must be the _brave_ one." Air Raid sneered at the blue seeker. Only his commander's presence was keeping him away from pouncing over the Decepticons, Optimus' orders already forgotten. He had always been a little short-tempered with his enemies and reckless in battle.

"No, I am the one who has been literally dragged here." Thundercracker shook his helm before turning to his brother. "Come on, Skywarp, you have the worst ideas. We are not welcomed here. Let's get out before someone starts shooting." He told to the black seeker, pushing him gently towards the exit. Skywarp's wings dropped in disappointment, but he understood that he couldn't win always.

"But I don't want them to go." Breakaway said suddenly, making everymech stop and look back at him, incredulously. Breakaway was the most amiable of the Aerialbots, sometimes a little naive, which made Silverbolt worry and care for him the most. "Well... they have been here for a day, and they have done no harm. And I am sure that they must have something important to tell us if they have dared to come here alone." He said timidly. "Isn't it, Skywarp?"

The back seeker looked back at them with an unreadable expression for some long seconds.

"_We are sorry_." Skywarp said after a while, a very unusual seriousness adorning his face-plates. Sorry about what? He had not verbally told it. But judging from his serious expression and his somehow regretful stance, with his wings dropped low, one could guess what he was sorry about.

Thundercracker stared intensely at his brother. He truly didn't expect him to act so maturely all of a sudden. Despite his previous accusation, Thundercracker knew that Skywarp was not stupid at all. But he usually acted foolish and carelessly. This behaviour was totally unexpected.

"_You are sorry_." Air Raid repeated, incredulously. "Do you honestly think that _that_ can fix something at this point?"

"No." Skywarp shook his helm. "But I had to try." He said sadly, and turned again to face his trine-mate. "Let's go, TC."

The two seekers walked slowly towards the exit, leaving three stunned aerialbots behind, lost in their thoughts.

But just as they stepped outside, Breakaway appeared, following them.

"Wait." The aerialbot said, fidgeting in his place. Skywarp turned to look at him. "I know it can't fix anything at this point but... I accept your apologies. And maybe we can fix future things." He finally said, his bright blue optics shining. The black seeker's face-plates lit up and he smiled honestly.

At that moment, Starscream's voice called his trine-mates through his shared bond.

::Megatron and Shockwave are uncomfortably close to the secret hangar. We need a distraction. Quickly::

And suddenly, Skywarp had the brightest of his ideas.

"Hey, Breakaway. I have heard that you are the fastest aerialbot around." The black seeker smirked. "But have you ever tried racing on your landing gear?"

* * *

><p>Having left Eleonor in the cybertronian beauty salon, Starscream made his way towards his Leader, just in case. Megatron and Shockwave were discussing little details about the mission they would accomplish when they returned to Cybertron and the security measures for Optimus and his chosen soldiers.<p>

"Lord Megatron." Starscream saluted, and he had to fight very hard the urge of commenting something about his Leader's finish. He was noticeable shinier than usual.

"Starscream." Megatron saluted back at his Second in Command, with a slight nod of his helm. He was about to say something when the sound of jet engines, wheels skidding on the asphalt and laughter interrupted him.

And rounding a corner appeared a black F-22 Raptor, closely followed by a brown camouflage-patterned F-35 Lightning. Both of them moving on their landing gear, engines humming low and flaps turned upward to keep them on the ground.

"Weeeee!" Skywarp squealed as he passed by.

Starscream wanted to say something but his vocalizer refused to form any coherent word.

Megatron sighed and shook his helm.

"What has happened with my bloodthirsty soldiers?" He mused aloud.

"Well, you told them not to engage in any unnecessary fight." Shockwave replied quietly. "I suppose they have to spend their energy in some other way. Specially seekers. You know they don't do well when confined to the ground for several days."

Starscream was secretly thankful for the cyclops mech's sudden understanding and explanations. They may have looked suspicious coming from him, but not from Shockwave.

"But do they have to do it in such undignified way?" Megatron continued.

"Well, it's Skywarp. We must be thankful that he is not pulling pranks." Shockwave shrugged.

"And what are you planning?" The Decepticon Leader turned to look at Starscream and shot him a glare.

"Uh..." The beige seeker's wings stiffened. "Have I mentioned how exceptionally shiny you are looking today, Lord Megatron?" He finally managed to say.

Megatron rose an optic-ridge.

* * *

><p>Alpha Trion, meanwhile, was in the lounge hangar, absently scrolling down a datapad. Soundwave was with him too, silently seating with Ravage laying on the floor next to him, Laserbeak nested in one shoulder, and Frenzy playing a video-game.<p>

Eleonor entered he room at that moment, taking small bits of an apple, her dessert.

"Hello." She saluted politely, coming closer to the quiet mechs.

"Greetings, young one." The Librarian saluted back. Soundwave nodded slightly in her direction, his visor brightening briefly.

"Hi, Ele." Frenzy saluted informally, without looking away from his video-game.

"Do I interrupt something?" She asked.

"No, don't worry. We were just reading something." The old Prime replied.

"Perfect." Eleonor sighed and plopped onto the couch, next to Frenzy. "I need some peace and quiet. The world is crazy outside." She closed her eyes to rest her sight for some seconds.

"Your planet is a very interesting place." The Librarian said, after a while in comfortable silence.

"Have you been researching the human Internet a little more?" Eleonor smiled warmly. She knew that the Librarian loved to learn things.

"A little. But mostly I followed Starscream's suggestion. I asked Soundwave for a full report about the War on the Decepticon side. Then I asked Prowl for another one on the Autobot side. And I have been catching up with everything I missed." He replied.

"Oh." She hummed, thinking about the implications. "And what is your opinion?"

The old Prime was in silence for a while, gathering his thoughts before answering.

"That both sides did terrible things. So horrible I don't even want to think about them." He shook his helm. "But if we expect to survive Unicron's advent, we must put our differences behind us. For the great good." He added. "It will be a hard task, though." He added with a sigh.

"We cannot change the past, but we can work for a better future." She smiled sympathetically.

Alpha Trion nodded slowly, thinking over her words.

"I also had time to read about you." The old mech added, looking intently at Eleonor.

"Oh." She exclaimed softly, unsure of what to say.

"You were quite brave." He said. "Helping the ones that tried to enslave and kill you in the first place must had been a difficult choice.

"I... I am neither brave nor heroic. And I don't believe I am capable of great achievements..." She shook her head, embarrassed. "...But if there is a thing I can do, is _forgive_. Life for us humans is a short adventure. There is no point in holding grudges forever. And I think that everyone deserves a second chance." She smiled heartily.

"You speak wise words to be so young, at least for our standards." Alpha Trion spoke solemnly.

"Uh... thank you." Eleonor blushed. She didn't like to be so openly praised. It made her feel embarrassed.

* * *

><p>The rest of the afternoon went uneventful. The Autobot Base was unusually calm, considering that the Decepticons were still there.<p>

Megatron, Starscream and Shockwave met with Optimus and Ironhide to decide which of their soldiers were going to be chosen for their mission in Cybertron. Soundwave was quietly spending his time in the lounge hangar, internally preparing the music files he was going to play at the party. Alpha Trion and Eleonor talked about a lot of things. The old Prime asked her about human behaviour, and she asked him about cybertronians.

Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Knock Out, not wanting to do anything that could spoil their recently polished and waxed finish, decided to practice some dancing moves in preparation for the party. Bumblebee and Barricade were playing a video-game in which the Autobot scout played as an illegal street racer, and the Decepticon hunter played as a police man, trying to catch him through the circuits. Mikaela, Sam and Miles started to watch a movie, but ended up napping on the couch. Breakdown was just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The peaceful atmosphere and Knock Out dancing, that is.

Thundercracker, after a while of searching for his brother through the Base, found Skywarp still in his alt form, resting at the shadow of one of the buildings, Breakaway next to him. Both of them appeared to be in recharge. The blue seeker chuckled for himself and seated on a nearby crate, guarding the sleeping jets and watching the clouds pass by.

The calmness lasted approximately until the sunset, when Starscream sent a private message to all the mechs involved in the party, telling them to go to the secret hangar and to take positions. Once they all were ready, Jazz proceeded to anonymously send to everyone at the Autobot Base, including humans, the following text message.

_'If you are willing to work for a better future, leave your prejudices and weapons in your closet and meet us at hangar number 9. And get ready to rock!'_

Optimus, Ironhide, Megatron, Shockwave and Starscream were still together when the message arrived. Confusion crossed their optics briefly before the Decepticon Leader turned to glare at his Second in Command.

"Dare I ask what are you plotting this time, Starscream?" He asked, frowning threateningly.

"Why do you automatically assume that when there is something unexpected it is my doing?" The seeker hissed. "Besides, I would never write something so corny." He added, trying to look innocent.

"Because it usually is. And because everyone here looked genuinely surprised by that message, except you." Megatron growled, pointing to his Second in Command with an accusatory servo. Thousands of years of back-stabbing attempts had made him an expert at reading his Second in Command's body language.

Starscream's innocent looking expression turned to a devious smirk, no longer pretending to hide the truth.

"Then I really think we should go and check what's happening at hangar number 9." The seeker said, chuckling darkly.

* * *

><p>There already were several mechs and human N.E.S.T. members congregated outside the hangar number 9 when Optimus and Megatron appeared. No one had dared to enter yet.<p>

"Prowl, do you know something about this?" Optimus asked to his Second in Command.

"Negative. But since I can't find Jazz anywhere, I have a slight suspicion." Prowl replied calmly.

"If this affects negatively our mission in any way, I am going to weld your wings together. With my fusion cannon." Megatron discretely muttered to the beige seeker, who didn't seem disturbed at all by his Leader's dark promises.

"Well, only one way to find out." Optimus shrugged and sent the wireless comand to open the doors.

The heavy doors slided open, and Optimus stepped inside, closely followed by Megatron, Ironhide, Shockwave and Starscream.

And what they saw inside left them frozen in place.

The huge hangar, one of the biggest the Autobot Base had, was entirely decorated with red and purple Autobot and Decepticon insignias across its walls. The periphery had cybertronian-sized tables and chairs, and one of the corners had a human sized lounge over a platform, safely out of any mech's way.

There was even a special table, apart from the rest, overlooking the rest of the hangar, presumably reserved for the faction leaders.

The central part of the hangar was clear, forming an ample dance floor. On the left side of the dance floor, Soundwave stood at the controls of a cybertronian-styled mix-table, powerful speakers properly set on the walls. Behind him, a huge banner with the purple Decepticon emblem painted on it was hanging from the wall. On the right side of the dance floor, Blaster mirrored Soundwave's position in a similar sound system, a huge banner with the red Autobot emblem behind him.

At the end of the hangar was a big stage with several large screens on the wall. Knock Out was at the stage, flanked by Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. The three of them had similar stances, their arms crossed over their chest-plates, quietly enjoying the surprised looks in their leaders' face-plates.

Eleonor, Sam, Mikaela and Miles were at the human-sized tables, smiling between them. Thundercracker, Skywarp and Breakaway were sharing a table, having included the aerialbot lately in their plans. Breakdown, Bumblebee and Barricade were sharing another table, already enjoying an energon cube.

"Well, what do ya think?" Jazz came closer to the faction leaders, his visor flashing in amusement and grinning widely.

"Whose idea was this, Jazz?" Prowl asked quietly.

"If Ah told ya, Ah'll have ta kill ya." The sleek silver mech grinned wider. "But Ah can tell ya dat everyone helped, and that Starscream is very efficient at coordinating Autobot and Decepticon efforts alike."

"I knew it!" Megatron growled and glared daggers at his Second in Command. "Consider your wings welded!"

"Didn't you told us to behave properly with the Autobots?" Starscream snarled, bristling.

"And organizing a party is your idea of behaving properly, Starscream?" Megatron growled back.

Optimus flinched slightly, fearing that the argument between the Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command would escalate into something physical.

"Well, we have done more than that. We have proven that not only we can stop fighting for a while, but that we are also capable of _working together_. Something that is going to be very important in a near future, I dare say." Starscream retorted, locking his gaze with his Leader's for several long seconds.

"Fine!" Megatron finally huffed. "Just pray that your little idea doesn't end in tragedy."

"It was not my idea anyway." The beige seeker huffed back, crossing his arms over his broad chest-plates in an indignant manner, his wings fluttering angrily behind him.

"Well, I can't see the harm in having a party to celebrate our first ceasefire in thousands of years." Optimus said, feeling that it was safe to intervene at that point.

"Thanks Primus! Someone agrees with me and it had to be _Optimus_!" Starscream huffed. "I'm defecting to the Autobots as soon as he has an air commander vacant." The beige seeker stomped his way towards the table where his trine-mates were seating with Breakaway.

"You don't think he is serious about that, do you?" Ironhide asked quietly to Shockwave.

"No. It's just for the show. Starscream can be very melodramatic sometimes." The cyclops mech replied calmly, surprising himself with the easiness with which he had just talked to his former enemy.

The beige seeker took a seat next to Thundercracker, who had an energon cube already prepared for his trine-leader. He took it in his right servo and downed half of it in one gulp.

"I... I am sorry that Lord Megatron didn't like the surprise party..." Breakaway suddenly said very softly. "I think it was a very good idea." He added, his voice barely above a whisper.

Starscream looked back at the timid aerialbot, his ruby glare piercing through him, making him look away and squirm in his chair. Then, the beige seeker smirked and chuckled in amusement.

"Are you kidding? Megatron was delighted." The Decepticon Second in Command grinned.

"Yes, he was." Thundercracker concurred.

"Really...? But..." Breakaway was confused.

"You don't know Megatron as much as we do. He didn't say anything because he likes to play the though guy. But he had that amused glint in his optics when we locked our gazes." Starscream explained. "Believe me, he is _proud_ of us."

"Oh."

"And if he were truly displeased I would be lacking a wing right now." Starscream added casually.

"Primus." Breakaway's wings folded together in panic.

Meanwhile, still at the entrance of the hangar, Optimus looked back at Megatron.

"Well, I guess we should let the party begin." Optimus suggested.

"I guess so." Megatron nodded with an aggravated sigh.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Well, I hope this was not too corny. I think the part about 'Bee and 'Cade was absolutely cute! By the way, have not explicitly said what has 'Cade given to 'Bee, but I know you must have guessed it by now ;) . If not, then you will find out in the next chapter. Ah, Starscream loves plotting. It's his favourite hobby! And Skywarp finally got his own way racing on his landing gear! Oh, before I forget; I have used the aerialbots Silverbolt, Air Raid and Breakaway because they are the ones that appear in the movie-verse games. I have added links with images of them in my profile page. Specially of Breakaway, oh my Primus, he has the cutest little face ever! Please, go and see him! And please, let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for the party! I love reviews!


	18. Party

Chapter 18: Party

As soon as Optimus and Megatron had taken their seats at their privileged spot, overlooking the rest of the hangar, Jazz hopped onto the stage and Knock Out handed him a microphone. Several mechs and humans were starting to come inside and occupy the tables, although still a little hesitantly.

"Good evening, mah fellow mechs and humans! We are here tonight ta forget about the problems dat usually plague our processors and ta enjoy ourselves and relax fer a while! Let the music and the good company wash yar fears away!" Jazz said, standing in the centre of the stage, a spotlight focused on him. "Havin' a good time is a must. But be careful. Ah'll be watchin' over ya! And if Ah caught any of ya misbehavin' or threatenin' our good vibrations ya will be severely punished!"

"How will they be punished?" Sideswipe asked, approaching to Jazz's microphone.

"Well, it depends." Jazz grinned, his visor flashing in amusement. "If it is an Autobot, Optimus will rip his face-plates off. If it is a Decepticon, Megatron will tear him in half."

Somewhere among the public, Prowl's door-wings stiffened. He couldn't believe the nerve that Jazz had sometimes.

"And if it is a human who misbehaves?" Sunstreaker piped in.

"Then we will feed him ta Mearing." Jazz smirked, gaining a mix of laughs and fearful cries from the public.

"And with that said, let the party begin!" Knock Out intervened cheerfully, stealing the microphone.

And with that, the dance floor and the stage lit up from above, with a variety of colorful spotlights that bounced and reflected upon the shiny finish of the mechs below them. The music started to play, coming from the powerful sound systems installed across the walls and flooding the hangar with danceable beats.

* * *

><p>Shockwave stood near the tables, a little uneasy. He was not a party mech, and so many Autobots around him made him feel uncomfortable. At least if he could have remained with Megatron, it would have been less awkward for him. But it seemed that the honor seats were only for the faction leaders.<p>

The cyclops mech was almost as feared as Megatron by his enemies. He was famous for his cold strategist mind and for been ruthless in battle. Pits, he was he biggest mech currently in that hangar, and one of his arms was entirely a cannon. A fragging six-meters-long ion cannon.

He glanced around him, hoping to share a table with one of his comrades at least. Every table had four chairs. Starscream and his trine-mates were sharing one with an aerialbot, Breakaway. Barricade, Bumblebee and Breakdown were sharing another one with an autobot caller Blurr who seemed to be recounting something, gesturing widely with his arms. Even Alpha Trion was there, sitting with Ratchet, Perceptor and Wheeljack.

"Hey, Shockwave. Come and sit here." The grumpy voice of Ironhide interrupted his thoughts.

He looked back at him. The Weapon Specialist was seated at the table that was closest to the human area that was placed upon a platform. One of the human tables had been pushed near Ironhide's table. That way, they were almost at the same level and very close, separated only by the railing of the platform. Three humans were leaning on the railing beside Ironhide. A man in a military uniform, a woman in casual clothes and small child.

Surprising himself, he strode slowly towards Ironhide's table.

"Are you sure about this?" Shockwave asked, catching the small glint of suppressed fear in the male soldier and the openly frightened expression of the female as she hugged the small child closer.

"You and I know very well that neither of us will do anything against our respective leader's orders." Ironhide said matter-of-factly. Shockwave could only nod at that. "And at the very worst, I prefer to have you close. So close that I am out of range of that cannon of yours." He grinned, and offered him a high-grade energon cube.

"It sounds like a good strategy." Shockwave admitted, taking a seat cross the table, in front of the black mech. "But you forget that I am good at close combat too." He grabbed the cube and took a small sip.

Ironhide was about to reply something, but the small child beat him.

Squirming below the railing and jumping from the platform, Annabelle Lennox landed safely on the cybertronian-sized table, just in front of Shockwave, for everyone's dismay.

"Who are you? What happened to your other hand? Why do you have only one eye? Are you a pirate?" She asked in a rapid series of questions, her eyes shining as she looked up at Shockwave.

Ironhide stiffened and the human pair gasped in horror. The decepticon looked down and focused his attention on the tiny being below him, his single optic flickering a couple of times.

"What is her malfunction?" Shockwave said calmly, ignoring the frightened reactions of the adults.

Ironhide reached up a servo and grabbed the adventurous little girl, quickly, but gently. Her parents sighed in relief.

"Malfunction?" Sarah Lennox asked hesitantly, still not used to the terms that cybertronians chose sometimes when speaking.

"That human's size seems below the average." Shockwave stated, looking back at the adult female, and making her flinch.

"There's nothing wrong with her. She is small because she is still a baby." Sarah replied, managing to give a small smile, realizing that not all the Decepticons were used to human biology.

"A _baby_?" Shockwave repeated, not having heard that human term before.

"The equivalent of a sparkling." Ironhide explained.

"Oh." Realization hit the cyclops mech. "I've never seen a human sparkling before." Shockwave mused, focusing again on the little being who was at that moment trying to scape Ironhide's protective servos. "And are they fearless, restless and curious about everything, just like sparklings?"

"For everyone's dismay, yes." Ironhide admitted, looking at the adult humans. "These are Sarah and Will, they are the parental units of Annabelle." He finished, looking down at the little girl, still struggling to climb up his servos. Sarah and Will greeted the Decepticon with a nervous smile.

"I am Shockwave. Megatron's Lieutenant and strategist." The cyclops mech saluted back. He truly didn't care much about humans, but been social for just one night couldn't hurt anyone.

"Mooooom!" Annabelle complained, tired of fruitlessly trying to scape Ironhide's servos. "Uncle 'Hide doesn't let me see anything! I want to speak with the pirate robot too!"

"Primus, they really don't know fear, do they?" Shockwave mused aloud.

Finally, Annabelle squirmed between two of Ironhide's fingers and managed to free herself.

"Annie. Come here, darling. Do not bother the pirate robot." Will called her daughter, a little worried. The presence of Ironhide was very reassuring, but his little girl was as adventurous as fragile.

"But daddyyy!" She whined, pouting and stomping her little feet.

"Ironhide, honestly. I am a Decepticon. I have extinguished many lives. I did many terrible things in the War, but I have never laid a servo on a sparkling." Shockwave said seriously.

"Really?" Sarah asked, hesitantly. Her previous encounter with Soundwave had started to open her mind, but she was still very cautious.

"Harming a sparkling in any way is still one of the gravest crimes by Decepticon standards. We may be the bad guys, but we are not monsters." Shockwave explained.

"Can I speak to the robot pirate now? Pretty please?" Annabelle insisted, clasping her hands together and giving her parents her most innocent smile.

"If he wish to..." Sarah sighed, a little more relaxed.

"What do you want to know, youngling?" Shockwave asked to the small girl, his deep voice softening the slightest.

"Why do you have only one eye?"

"I was spark- I mean, I was born this way."

"Why do you have only one hand?"

"I transformed the other one into a big gun." Shockwave replied, amused, and rose his arm-cannon for emphasis, making it whirl. The gesture only served to feed her interest, her eyes widening in awe.

"And can you shoot with it like uncle 'Hide?"

"Not right now. I am out of ammo." Shockwave lied, to avoid been asked for a demonstration. And he made a mental note for asking later about Ironhide's nickname.

"Where do you come from?"

"From a planet called Cybertron."

"Oh! Uncle 'Hide comes from that planet too! Are you his friend?" She asked in excitement.

"Hmm... not really..."

"Oh." She pouted.

"Well, maybe a little." The cyclops mech mentally slapped himself, but Annabelle beamed again. "Anything else?" Shockwave asked. The little girl shook her head, satisfied for the moment with his answers. "Well, then it's my turn to ask." He leaned closer. "What is a _pirate_?"

* * *

><p>"That little Annabelle has a way with giant alien robots, I tell you." Mikaela murmured, still looking at the fearsome single-eyed mech speaking quietly with the little girl. "First Soundwave, and then Shockwave."<p>

"I think that two are the scariest Decepticons, after Megatron, of course. Soundwave... he creeps me out. His face is unreadable. And Shockwave... he is so huge... and that single optic makes me shiver, not to mention that cannon." Sam mused aloud.

"Yeah, man." Miles agreed. "I'm going to have nightmares."

Eleonor shook her head in amusement.

"Really, Sam? _You_ more than anyone should know better than to judge someone by his appearance." Eleonor said, her tone slightly reprimanding. "They may be in different factions, but they are people too, just like the Autobots. They are not mindless killing machines. If you give them time you will be able to see what they are like deep down."

"So, there is more to them than meets the eye?" Mikaela asked, quoting something that Sam had told her a long time ago.

"Yes." Eleonor smiled. "You just have to listen and learn."

"Yeah... as if they would give me a chance to listen..." Sam grumbled.

"And what are they like?" Mikaela said, ignoring Sam and moving her chair closer to Eleonor. "What can you tell me about, I don't know... Soundwave, for example. I've heard about him that he is an emotionless drone."

"What?" Eleonor exclaimed indignant. "That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. Soundwave doesn't like to _show_ his emotions. That doesn't mean he doesn't have any." She explained. "He doesn't like to waste words, therefore he speaks very little. But he is very observant, and he doesn't miss anything."

"And what about Shockwave?"

"Shockwave is a very practical mech. He likes efficiency above all, and he is extremely loyal. He may look fearsome, but he is one of the calmest mechs I have met. And unlike most of the Decepticons, he doesn't enjoy unnecessary demonstrations of physical power, perhaps because he knows that he really is the strongest. He doesn't like to show off. He always thinks first and acts later. And he also has a very sharp mind."

"Wow. I would have never guessed." Sam whistled. "What about the scary cop, Barricade?"

"I haven't personally spent too much time around him. He likes to try new things and enjoys spending his spare time in company. He has many hobbies: video-games, comics, racing, dancing... he's very trendy. He likes to play the bad cop role, but I think he is not that cruel deep down."

"And what about-" Mikaela wanted to ask, but Eleonor rose a hand, stopping her.

"No more revelations for today." Eleonor smiled. "If you want to know more about them, you'll have to find out on your own. It's not funny if I do all the hard research work for you."

"Alright, it seems fair to me." Mikaela grinned. "I think I'll go and visit Skywarp. After all, he was supposed to be my companion tonight.

Sam let out an aggravated sigh.

"Betrayed by my own girlfriend!" He exclaimed, raising his arms in the air with a melodramatic gasp.

"Dude, he's like... a ten-meters-tall alien robot that transforms into a plane... We are done here." Miles said ominously.

"Not helping, Miles, not helping!"

* * *

><p>Skywarp was narrating his last adventure, giving colorful explanations about how exciting was to run on his landing gear when Eleonor and Mikaela arrived at their table.<p>

"Hey, girls." Skywarp grinned friendly, and helped them to climb up their table.

"So, you come to claim your seeker companion for tonight?" Thundercracker asked, amused, taking a sip of his high grade.

"Yes, if Starscream doesn't mind it." Mikaela replied, looking expectantly at the beige seeker.

"He has brought disgrace to this trine by racing on his landing gear." Starscream replied theatrically. "You can't make it any worse. It's yours." He smirked. "In fact, I'm replacing him with Breakaway, he is much more quiet and well behaved."

The timid aerialbot's cooling fans kicked in, the cybertronian version of a blush. The last thing he was expecting that night was a compliment from the Decepticon Air Commander.

Suddenly, the lights of the hangar dimmed, and a single spotlight focused on Knock Out, who was at the center of the stage, holding a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemechs, it's a pleasure to announce the first entertainment of the evening." He said silkily. "It will be a competition based on a human game called 'pin the tail to the donkey', whatever a donkey is..." He trailed off. "Anyway! In our version of the game, the objective of our cybertronian contestants will be to attach some missing parts to a drawing of our beloved leaders."

"But dat seems way too easy, Knock Out." Intervened Jazz, approaching to the red medic, another spotlight focusing on him. "Tell me, what's the catch?"

"The catch is, that before reaching the drawing, first our cybertronian contestants must cross an obstacle course... _blindfolded_ and with his _sensors off-lined_!"

"Oh, my Primus! And how will they do dat? Isn't anyone goin' ta help our poor contestants?" Jazz exclaimed theatrically.

"Of course they will have help. This game is to be played in pairs. The only rule is that each cybertronian contestant must team up with a human that will guide them, giving directions to follow the right path until they reach the drawing to pin the missing part on it."

"It looks like tons of fun. And how will we decide the winner?" Jazz asked.

"Three things will affect the final score: the obstacles hit in the obstacle course, the accuracy with which the missing part is pinned, and the total time taken."

"And what if they cheat?"

"They will be disqualified and will test Wheeljack's latest invention." The red medic replied with a grin and the public burst in laughter. "Sorry Wheeljack, I didn't write my script. Talk to Sunstreaker if you want vengeance." Knock Out winked an optic.

"Traitor!" The voice of Sunstreaker could be heard from somewhere between the public.

"Well, if everything is said, Ah'd like ta be the first contestant ta make a demonstration!" Jazz smirked. "But Ah'll need a brave human ta help me! Ah wonder who would be so kind?" He asked, and stared at the human part of the hangar.

"I will." Said a young blonde girl, rising from her chair, a huge smile adorning her features.

"Maggie! Ah couldn't have asked for a better help!" Jazz waved, his visor flashing bright.

Maggie came down the stairs and headed for Jazz, who had moved to the starting line of the circuit. Maggie was part of the data analyst team that had intercepted the first Decepticon signals several years ago. Since then, she had been working for the Autobots in communication's duties, and frequently worked with Jazz and Prowl. It was because of this, that they had ended up been good friends and hanged around together very often.

The lambo twins approached, Sunstreaker holding a crate with the missing parts of the drawing and Sideswipe holding a bed sheet.

Once Jazz was effectively blindfolded with the sheet and he had off-lined his proximity sensors, Sideswipe scooped Maggie up and placed her on Jazz's shoulder-plates. Then, Sunstreaker opened the crate with the missing parts. The young data analyst peeked inside the crate...

...and suddenly burst in laughter.

"Oh my god, I can't decide which one to choose!" She managed to say between giggles.

"What happens? Ah swear, the twins didn't let anyone look at the parts they prepared. They kept them a secret." Jazz asked in wonder.

"I am sorry Jazz, but you'll have to play to find out." Sunstreaker grinned. "Maggie, choose one and I'll place it in Jazz's servos."

"OK." Maggie nodded, and pointed to one of the parts.

"Good choice."

Sunstreaker placed the part in Jazz's servos and turned him to face the open space of the dancing floor. Then, he gave a thumbs-up to Soundwave. With a few commands, Soundwave made a sinuous path appear on the floor, projected from above by the spotlights and lasers, leading to the other side of the dance floor, where a big panel with cartoonized drawings of Optimus Prime and Megatron had been conveniently placed. As both the path and the obstacles were mere laser projections, there was no real danger for the mechs to trip over them.

"Are you two ready?" Sunstreaker asked.

"Yes!" Jazz and Maggie cheered at unison.

"Then the time starts in three, two, one... Go!"

"OK, Jazz, start walking until I tell you to stop... stop! Good, now turn left, yes, now two steps more, and now turn right..."

Quiet giggles could be heard from the crowd as Maggie guided Jazz through the obstacle course. The screens across the hangar projected the event from several camera feeds and displayed the time they were taking to complete the course. Finally, they arrived at the panel with the drawings.

"We have arrived, the drawings are just in front of you. Now hold up your hand- I mean, servo." Maggie said, and Jazz complied. "Now, move a step to your right. Move your servo about thirty centimeters up. Now, twenty to the left. Perfect, pin it!"

And Jazz pinned the missing part on the drawing and the timer stopped.

"Woah, that was a very good one, it's going to be hard to improve. A little slow on the obstacle course, but the missing part is very well pinned." Knock Out commented as the crow roared in laughter.

"Can Ah take off dis sheet now?" Jazz asked.

"Yes!"

Jazz on-lined his proximity sensors again and lifted his blindfold, desiring to know what the public was so excited about.

And he had to pick Maggie in his servos to prevent her from falling to the floor because of the uncontrolled giggles that assaulted him.

"Aw, isn't dat cute?" Jazz grinned. "Ah wonder what will be the other parts!" He laughed.

In front of him, the drawing of Optimus Prime, now sported beautiful kitten-like ears.

* * *

><p>Apart from the crowd, at the honor seats, Optimus was smiling and shaking his helm in amusement.<p>

"It suits you well." Megatron couldn't stop a smirk from creeping into his face-plates, and tried to hide it taking a sip from his high-grade.

* * *

><p>"Well, who will be our next contestants?" Knock Out asked to the crowd.<p>

He had not finished to pronounce the question when Skywarp and Mikaela strode confidently towards the starting line, wide grins adorning their faces.

"We are next!" Mikaela said cheerily.

"Good! The fearless girl and the off-roading seeker!" Knock Out chuckled. "Remember, Skywarp, proximity sensors off-lined and trine-bonds closed!"

"Dammit, 'Warp, you are too big!" Sideswipe complained. The seeker was twice taller than him, and he didn't reach to put him the blindfold.

Fortunately, Thundercracker approached and helped them with the preparations, as well as scooping Mikaela to Skywarp's shoulder.

When all was ready and Mikaela had chosen the part, Soundwave lit a new obstacle course.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Every course displayed is different so that you can't memorize them. And they are adapted to every mech depending on their size. But the difficulty is similar." Knock Out clarified. "Are our next contestants ready?"

"Yeah!" Mikaela gave a thumbs up.

"Then ready... steady... Go!"

Skywarp was not as good at following orders as Jazz had been, or Mikaela was not as good at giving them. They took a little shorter in the circuit, but Skywarp hit some of the obstacles. And when pinning the missing part to the drawing, they did it in a rush, and the result was not quite the expected.

"Oh my GOD! What have we done?" Mikaela gasped in horror.

"What happened, did I put it right?" Skywarp asked as he lifted his blindfold. "Holy. Fragging. Primus. We are screwed."

"Skywarp, step aside. You are blocking the view with your wings!" Sunstreaker complained.

The black seeker stepped aside, fidgeting on his spot, a nervous and embarrassed smile adorning his features, the same Mikaela had. And the public burst in laughter. Ironhide on particular had been taking a sip of his high-grade at that moment and nearly chocked on it.

The drawing of Megatron now had his fusion cannon... conveniently placed over his groin-plates.

"Starscream, start looking for a new trine-member, because I can foresee a premature end for Skywarp." Megatron's deep serious voice could be heard, after the laughter subsided.

"I was already counting on that, my Lord." Starscream replied ominously from the other end of the hangar, making the laughs start again.

"Noooooo!" Skywarp whined, walking back to his seat, his expression gloomy.

* * *

><p>"Uncle 'Hide! Uncle 'Hide!" Annabelle called the Weapon Specialist, tapping softly his servo. "I want to play too!"<p>

"You, Annie? But you are too young. What if you fall?" Ironhide didn't want to risk harming the little girl.

"I will accompany her." Said Sarah, smiling. "Just to make sure she doesn't fall. But she will give you the directions." Ironhide nodded, and they approached the starting line.

"Excellent! The little mech-tamer Annabelle and her fearsome nanny!" Knock Out winked an optic to Sarah, who smiled back. "But as she is still to young to participate alone, her mother will provide some support. The rest of the rules remain the same!"

And with Sarah secured on his broad shoulders, holding her child close, they started the obstacle course, for the delight of all the presents.

Unfortunately, little Annie didn't have very clear the concepts of 'right' and 'left' yet, so most of the time her little voice could be hear cheering 'Left, left! No, your other left!' between squeals and giggles of amusement. They were going to have the lowest score, but Annabelle was enjoying herself immensely, and that was all that mattered to Ironhide at that moment. For not mentioning that Sarah was also on the verge of tears after so much laughing.

But somehow they managed to reach the drawing, and fortunately Sarah helped a little with the indications, and the part was more or less well pinned.

"Yay! We did it!" She squealed in joy.

"Yes, we did it, Annie. Good job." Ironhide smirked as he lifted his blindfold and inspected their work proudly.

Now, the drawing of Optimus Prime was sporting a colorful scarf.

* * *

><p>Little by little, more teams participated in the game with more or less skill. Sam teamed up with Bumblebee, and they did a pretty good job attaching Megatron a stylish top hat. Ratchet teamed up with one of the nurses of the medical staff, neatly attaching Optimus dark sunglasses. Even Breakdown participated, teaming up with Miles and adorning Megatron with a black bowtie.<p>

Other mechs teamed up with their closest N.E.S.T. friends, and soon only one part was missing.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemechs. Only one part left. Who will have the honor of placing the last part?" Sunstreaker asked, looking to the crowd.

"We will do it." Starscream said suddenly, rising from his seat. Eleonor was genuinely surprised. She was not expecting the Decepticon Second in Command to participate in such childish games.

"Well, what do we have here, the mighty Air Commander and his pet." Knock Out said, meaning no offense, and making Eleonor laugh heartily. "Remember, as I said before for Skywarp, trine-bonds closed!"

"Yes, yes, am I not a trustworthy and reliable mech?" Starscream asked, smirking mischievously as he approached the starting line.

"I trust you as far as I can throw you." Megatron intervened, from his honor seat.

"Oh, but you can throw me very, very far away, _mighty_ Megatron." The beige seeker grinned with a theatrical bow. Optimus smiled at the exchange.

Thundercracker approached again, and helped the lambo twins to set the sheet in place.

"OK, are you two ready?" Sunstreaker asked.

"I was sparked ready." Starscream replied, sure of himself.

"I'm ready too." Eleonor smiled, securing herself on the seeker's broad shoulders.

"Then the game starts in three, two, one, go!"

"Four meters straight. Forty-five degrees to your right. Two meters. Thirty degrees to the left..."

Starscream smirked for himself as he followed Eleonor's directions. Of all the contestants, she has been the only one that had had the idea of giving the directions in degrees, much more accurate than saying 'left, a little more to the right', and such. Also, Eleonor didn't get nervous or excited. She maintained her calm and focused nature, speaking quietly, but efficiently.

"The panel is in front of you." She said, and Starscream rose his servo, ready for the next directions. "Fifty centimeters north-west. Now twenty north. Pin it."

"Well, that has been a good lesson about team work, Commander." Knock Out admitted, signaling the end of the game.

Starscream lifted his blindfold and smirked at the sight of the panel.

Megatron now had a black moustache.

"Now, return to your tables while the judges count each contestant's scores and make a decision." Knock Out informed, while the screens displayed the final state of the drawings of the faction leaders. Optimus had kitten ears, a colorful scarf, kitten tail, sunglasses, a medieval sword, a shield, a pink bow and a bell. Megatron had a top hat, a monocle, a moustache, a black bow tie, bunny ears, a sunflower and a conveniently misplaced fusion cannon.

Starscream strode to his table, and gently deposited Eleonor on it. She was still smiling proudly.

"Not bad, uh?" She said.

"We are _so_ going to win." The beige seeker smirked.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes, Knock Out was again at the center of the stage, microphone in one servo, a single spotlight focused on him, making his perfect finish shine.<p>

"Alright, ladies and gentlemechs, we have _two_ winners." The red medic announced. "Can Eleonor and Annabelle come here as representatives of their teams?"

The young woman approached and climbed to the stage, followed by Sarah and Annabelle.

"Because, although Eleonor and Starscream have been the most efficient team, Annabelle and Ironhide have been the cutest one, and they had the added handicap of her young age." Knock Out explained. "And personally, I must admit that little Annabelle is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Honestly, I was about to have a spark-failure from her cuteness." He admitted.

Sarah laughed in amusement.

"So, here are your prizes." He continued, handing Eleonor a red box with a ribbon. "A box of chocolates for Eleonor." Then he turned to the little girl and her mother. "And a complete set of My Little Pony toys for Annie. Don't ask me what a _pony_ is or where do these prizes come from, I have no idea."

Eleonor smiled and Annabelle laughed and squealed in delight. She loved her prize.

"I want chocolates too! Can you give me one, Eleonor? Pretty please?" Annabelle asked with her best innocent expression. And before her mother could reprimand her for desiring other people's belongings, Eleonor was handing her the whole box of chocolates, unable to say 'no' to that cute little face.

"Here, you can have all of them. I prefer to see you happy." She sighed, kneeling next to her.

"Thank you!" Annabelle squealed, hugging Eleonor and placing a kiss on her cheek. Then, she turned and looked up at Knock Out, reaching up both arms. "Up!"

"What do you want, little one?" The red medic tilted his helm to a side, confused.

"I think she wants to thank you for the prize." Sarah laughed. "Just pick her up and bring her close to your face."

"If you say so..." Knock Out was still a little unsure, but kneeled and picked up the little girl as gently as he could.

And as soon as she was at grabbing distance, Annabelle held to the red medic's helm and placed a kiss on his metal cheek. Knock Out stiffened and his optics widened in surprise.

"Thank you!" She giggled.

Once she was done, he lowered her to the floor and watched the three females leave.

Then, he placed a servo over his kissed cheek and stared back at the public, shock still written over his features.

"I'm never washing this cheek again."

And that was how little Annabelle, despite having scored the lowest on the ranking, won the two prizes and stole a kiss from the sexiest mech at the Base.

* * *

><p>"That's the cutest thing I've ever seen." Optimus smiled.<p>

"Disgustingly cute." Megatron agreed, shaking his helm in disbelief.

* * *

><p>"You dare to return empty handed." Starscream smirked upon Eleonor's return.<p>

"What else could I do? I am sure not even Lord Megatron could have resisted that girl looking up at him with those pleading eyes." She suppressed a shiver. "And you were worried about 'femme mystical powers'... you should do some research about 'baby mystical powers'. They are even worse... By the way, where is Skywarp?" She asked, noticing that the black seeker had disappeared from the table.

"What do you think?" Thundercracker sighed, and pointed to the table that was been shared by Ironhide and Shockwave. Now, Skywarp was there too, keeling to be at the same level with Annabelle, who was on the table, showing him her new ponies.

"Oh, I remember. He also liked that show." She shook her head in amusement.

"So, this is what the mighty Decepticons do when they are not at war. Cute." Mikaela concluded.

"I guess there's no point in denying it any longer." Starscream let out an aggravated sigh.

The lights dimmed again, and two spotlights focused on Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.

"Ladies and gentlemechs, it's a pleasure to announce the second entertainment of the evening!" The golden twin said. Two other spotlights focused on Soundwave and Blaster. "A battle!" He cheered, raising a fist into the air.

"But fear not, because no-one will be harmed. It will be only a DJ battle between Blaster, to my left..." He gestured to the orange and yellow mech, who was grinning widely and waving to the excited crowd. "...And Soundwave to my right!" The blue and silvery mech bowed his helm slightly, earning, for his surprise, an equally excited cheer from the crowd, despite been Autobots most of them. "Let the show begin!"

Wasting no time, Blaster produced several data cables from his data-ports and connected himself to the mix-table. Immediately, the music started to play. The Autobot DJ used popular songs and remixed them instantly with stronger danceable beats. It was impossible to resist. Soon, the dancing floor was full of mechs dancing to his rhythms. Sunstreaker was dancing with his twin brother, Sideswipe. Jazz was dancing with Knock Out, and Bumblebee had managed to drag Barricade to the dance floor, and were now absorbed in their private dancing battle.

In the human area of the hangar, many of the N.E.S.T. members were dancing too, the best ones been Maggie and Glenn, who, despite been a little over-weighted was a surprisingly good dancer.

A while later, Soundwave's turn arrived. Connecting himself to the mix-table in a similar way as Blaster had done, soft and delicate violin sounds started to flood the hangar. The lights dimmed again and variety of colorful lasers filled the dance floor. Soundwave not only was controlling the music. He was also controlling the lighting of the room to make it follow the music. And before anyone could take in what was happening, new electric beats and rhythms added to the soft violin sounds. Soundwave's music was like classical music exquisitely intertwined with electronic beats.

As a whole, Soundwave's choice of music was softer than Blaster's, good for listening and good for dancing, though slower. It was that kind of music that makes your hair stand on end when the instruments reach their highest notes, sending pleasurable shivers down your spine. It was amazing to hear and watch, because the spotlights and lasers, mostly using cool, calming, blue, purple and indigo colors, moved to the beat.

Soundwave was too engrossed in his task to notice it, but even the antenna arrays he carried on his back moved slowly, unconsciously following the rhythm.

If there was still any doubt about the silent Communications Officer been an emotionless drone, it was dissipated that night.

The music ended, and everyone was silently staring at the Decepticon Third in Command. Noticing that his antenna arrays had moved against his will, he slowly folded them back into place. He looked back to the wide-eyed crowd in front of him.

"Soundwave, man. I admit defeat. I have never heard something like that before." Blaster was the first one to regain the ability to speak. "You are _superior_."

"Compliment: appreciated." Soundwave replied simply, with a slight bow of his helm.

"Dear god. Whoever came up with that shit about Soundwave been just an emotionless machine, I'm going to dump him in the pool." Mikaela murmured, still in shock.

* * *

><p>Thundercracker had gone to check up on his brother, still at the table with Ironhide, Shockwave and the Lennox family.<p>

"Do I interrupt something?" The blue seeker asked, polite as always.

"No. You arrive just in time for a 'tea party', whatever that is." Shockwave said in amusement, watching the small child pour imaginary tea in a cup in front of Skywarp.

"Primus, his sparkling protection protocols have kicked in." Thundercracker exclaimed, resisting the urge of face-palming.

"Don't be a killjoy, TC. I'm having a great time." The black seeker retorted. "And I don't have those protocols anymore. I deleted them long time ago."

"No, you didn't." Thundercracker insisted, a knowing smile adorning his face-plates. Of course he knew. He was his trine-mate.

"What are they talking about?" Will asked, curious.

"My brother Skywarp here, just like Starscream and me, is a _seeker_." Thundercracker explained. "Our frame types are specialized for long space travel in search of useful resources. But before we embark upon that kind of missions, when we are still young, we carry out other simpler tasks." The blue seeker paused, taking a deep intake of air. "Typically related with the protection and caring of sparklings."

"You mean that your brother sees Annabelle like one of your babies- I mean, sparklings?" Sarah asked in understanding.

"Yes." Thundercracker smirked. "I think that not even Megatron could lay a servo now on that child without having his arm bitten-off by Skywarp."

"I told you I deleted that protocols long ago." Skywarp hissed, his wings perking up in an irritated gesture. Admitting that one still has those kind of protocols was like admitting to be still a youngster. Skywarp was the youngest of their trine, but he was not _that_ young. He was a seasoned warrior.

"Don't be sad, Sky'." Annabelle chimed, and rushed to the black seeker, who was still crouched beside the table to be at her level, and she hugged his face-plates as best as a five-year-old could. Skywarp's annoyance evaporated at that instant, his wings dropping low again.

Sarah could only stare with a somehow guilty smile. Will, for his part, had his world turned upside down after seen other aspects of his enemies that he had never witnessed.

"Whatever you say, Sky. Whatever you say..." Thundercracker hummed and turned, heading back for his table.

"Lord Megatron is going to be very amused when he finds out." Shockwave commented nonchalantly.

"Aw." Skywarp whined weakly. "I don't care. He is already going to terminate me for the 'fusion cannon incident'. Let me enjoy my last day on Earth."

* * *

><p>The lights dimmed once more and Knock Out appeared on the stage.<p>

"Ladies and gentlemechs!" The red medic said, gaining everyone's attention. "It's a pleasure for me to announce the next and last entertainment of the evening, and particularly the one I have been looking forward for the most... The singing and dancing contest!"

The public burst in cheers and Knock Out had to wait until they calmed down to continue.

"Anyone who wishes to sing, dance or both can participate. You just have to send Blaster a message informing him of the song you want and you will be queued." He explained. "And, we also have some volunteers that are willing to dance and sing anonymous dedications. For these anonymous petitions, send the song and the people you dedicate them to Soundwave, and he will make sure that your wishes are fulfilled."

Another cheer from the crowd.

"And now, without further delay, the first contestants!" He made a gesture and a mech and two humans climbed to the stage. "Please, give a warm welcome to Bumblebee, Mikaela and Sam."

And for everyone's surprise, it was Bumblebee who was holding the microphone.

"By the way." Knock Out stopped before leaving the stage. "Have I mentioned that Ratchet has managed to fix 'Bee's vocalizer just in time for the party?" He winked an optic, and hopped down the stage.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** First of all, if you wish to listen to what I had in mind when I described Soundwave's music, please listen to _'Crystallize' _by_ Lindsey Stirling_. That could be the closest thing to Soundwave's choice of music. And well, what do you think of the chapter? Was it good? Was it too fluffly? It made you laugh? It made you smile? It made you jealous of little Annie? Anyway, there is still a little more of the party to come (the dancing and singing contest) (By the way, if you have songs suggestions or petitions let me know). After that, things will get a little more serious again when they come back to Cybertron for serious business. And last, but not least, a million thanks to **anonybot** for the suggestions of party games! Oh, and what do you think now about Barricade uh? Maybe he has a soft spot for 'Bee? huummmmm!


	19. Terms changed

Chapter 19: Terms changed

A spectacle of light beams danced over the stage as music started to play and the beautiful, long-forgotten voice of Bumblebee began to sing 'Sleeping in my car', by Roxette.

_Sleeping in my car - I will undress you_

_Sleeping in my car - I will caress you_

_Staying in the back seat of my car making love, oh yeah!_

All the while, Mikaela and Sam were dancing in front of him, accompanying the lyrics with a surprisingly good choreography.

Laughs and cheers of joy flooded the hangar, some of them because of the lyrics, some of them because of Bumblebee's regained ability to speak, and some other in sheer happiness for the whole situation.

Quietly observing the whole scene from his table, Barricade smirked for himself, optics dimming slightly as he let himself just enjoy the moment for a while.

"Well, I am pretty sure that _that_ was just in the line between sexy and... disturbing." Knock Out smirked, hopping onto the stage once the first performance was over. "Regardless of that, it has been a very good performance! I hope that we can keep that level!" He cheered, earning another round of excited cries from the crowd. "The following song will be an anonymous request performed by Arcee, and it is dedicated to... Ratchet and Ironhide! Please, give her a warm welcome and enjoy the show!"

The three Arcee triplets appeared on the stage, one pink, one blue and one purple. And they started to sing 'Shut up and kiss me', by Orianthi.

_This love (love)-hate (hate) relationship_

_You say you can't handle it_

_But there's no way to stop this now_

_So shut up and kiss me!_

She was perfect, because she could do the second voices and chorus for herself, and her choreography was perfectly synchronized. The public was ecstatic with the song. Well, everyone in the hangar with the exception of two mechs. Ironhide and Ratchet, who could only listen in bewilderment to the lyrics.

"Are you sure you can't reveal the author of that dedication?" Ratchet asked to the Decepticon Third in Command, once the song had finished.

"Negative." Soundwave was adamant in his reply, as always.

Knock Out appeared on the stage.

"And that has been one beautifully perfect choreography. Really hard to beat." The red medic whistled. "And now the next performer... me!" Excited cheers from the crowd. "But I will not be alone, because I owed Mikaela a dance. So, give her another warm welcome!"

Mikaela was already climbing to the stage, a wide grin adorning her face.

"I hope that you had had enough time to recover your breath from the first performance." Knock Out teased her.

"Oh, bring it!" She replied.

The music started and Knock Out began to sing 'For your entertainment', by Adam Lambert.

_So hot out of the box_

_Can we pick up the pace_

_Turn it up, heat it up_

_I need to be entertained_

_Push the limit, are you with it?_

_Baby don't be afraid_

_Imma hurt you real good baby_

Perfect voice. Perfect chassis. Perfect movements on the stage. The red medic was capable of making cybertronians and humans alike run wild. And Mikaela was not very far from him. She was easily the prettiest girl in the hangar, and her movements were agile, elegant and fluid.

In a bold gesture, Knock Out offered her a servo, which she accepted gladly. And she continued dancing on his palm, while the red mech sang, lowering his voice into a seductive purr.

_'Sall right_

_You'll be fine_

_Baby I'm in control_

_Take the pain_

_Take the pleasure_

_I'm the master of both_

_Close your eyes, not your mind_

_Let me into your soul_

_I'm gonna work it 'til your totally blown_

"Man, they are _so_ going to win." Miles murmured to Sam, nudging him with the elbow. They were currently sitting at the same table with Bumblebee, Barricade and Breakdown. "And you are going to loose your girlfriend to a sexy red sports-car." He added.

"Stop suggesting weird things! You are worrying me!" Sam exclaimed in distress.

Breakdown assumed his best poker-face, and Barricade snickered.

"Kill their cattle and steal their women!" The black and white mech cheered, taking a gulp of his high grade.

"Why would you even do that?" Bumblebee asked, raising an optic ridge.

"I don't know. I heard it in a movie." Barricade smirked. "And your human pet is fun to pick on."

"His name is Sam. And he is not a _pet_." The yellow mech replied back, a little offended.

"I liked you better when you were more _quiet_." The black and white mech retorted.

"Well, it's not my fault that _Ratchet_ managed to fix me!" Bumblebee snapped, stressing the medic's name. Letting Barricade know that he was still keeping his secret.

Barricade was about to snap something back, but he was interrupted.

"Oh, for the love of Primus!" Knock Out had just arrived to the table. Lowering his servo, Mikaela hopped down, still recovering her breath after the dancing session. The red medic turned to glare at the police mech. "Barricade, you're an idiot. Can't you see that the Autobots are very fond of their human pe- I mean, friends?" Then, he turned to glare at the yellow mech. "And you, Bumblebee, can't you see that _teasing_ is the only way that 'Cade knows of flirting?"

Everyone at the table fell in an awkward silence.

"Jeez. I'm surrounded by blind mechs!" Knock Out continued fuming as he made his way towards Breakdown, reassuming his usual cocky attitude when he was in front of him. "So, how was I?"

"Perfect." The blue and grey mech summarized in one word, and smiled shyly.

Meanwhile, Bumblebee, Barricade, Sam, Mikaela and Miles continued with their personal awkward staring contest, ignored by the medic and his assistant.

"I'm out of here..." Barricade grumbled finally, heading for the exit of the hangar.

Bumblebee followed him with his gaze. The police mech had not confirmed, nor denied Knock Out's words. The yellow scout fell in a thoughtful silence. Was it even possible?

* * *

><p>Back on the stage, it was Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's turn to rock the audience, singing together 'Better than I know myself', by Adam Lambert. Specially and anonymously dedicated to Megatron and Starscream.<p>

_Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now,_

_But I really need you near me to_

_Keep my mind off the edge_

_If I wanted to leave I would have left by now,_

_But you're the only one that knows me_

_Better than I know myself_

Starscream looked unamused, and Megatron felt like shooting someone. Good thing he didn't have his fusion cannon.

* * *

><p>The most remarkable of the evening were the anonymous dedications. 'I wish I could fly', by Roxette was dedicated to Thundercracker. The seeker had to admit that he was very pleased by the choice.<p>

'Peacock', by Katy Perry was for Knock Out. He found it daring and fitting.

'The humbling river', by Puscifer was for Optimus. The Autobot Leader enjoyed every verse of it.

'E.T.', by Katy Perry was for Eleonor. And she had the grace to blush.

* * *

><p>"Hey, 'Bee." Sam said quietly, approaching his best cybertronian friend and guardian, patting him softly on a shoulder. Then he seated on the end of the table, his legs dangling from the edge. "What happens between you and Barricade?" He asked, concern seeping into his tone.<p>

"I... really don't want to talk about it..." The yellow scout replied softly.

"Too bad." Sam lamented, shaking his head. "I have been looking forward to heard you for the past four years, and now that Ratchet has finally managed to fix your vocalizer, you don't want to talk."

Bumblebee sighed softly through his vents and his expression turned regretful for a second.

"Can you... please keep me a secret?" He said, leaning closer. Sam nodded sharply. "Please, it is very important that you don't tell anyone." The boy nodded again, this time solemnly.

Sam felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and extracted it. There was a message from Bumblebee. Apparently, his secret was so important that he didn't want to risk any cunning cybertronian hearing to pick it up, he deduced.

_'Barricade brought me the new vocalizer from Cybertron.'_ Sam read the message for himself and quickly deleted it.

"I... I don't know what to say... That was... unexpected." Sam tried his best to remain calm and put his best poker-face. "But it looks like 'Cade was trying his best to say something to you."

Bumblebee sighed again, running a servo down his helm.

"How could I have been so blind."

It was all so clear now. When they fought together four years ago, Barricade's movements were not aimed to kill, but to incapacitate. And of course, the Decepticon hunter was not as good at him with non-deadly blows. That was why he lost. Barricade had been holding back.

All the teasing. The race. The brief skirmish. Him pinning the police mech to the ground. Barricade not fighting back. The prize.

'_I guess not everyone of us are mindless killing machines after all.'_ Barricade had said.

"I really am stupid." The yellow scout mused.

"Why don't you go and talk to him?" Sam asked. Bumblebee seemed hesitant. "Do you... ahem... I don't know what's the word I should use for this... do you... _like_ him?" He asked in a whisper.

"Sam!" The yellow scout hissed, looking around suspiciously. "He is a _Decepticon_!"

"You are both cybertronians. And adults." Sam shrugged. "And he is clearly trying to fix things."

"But... but he tried to kill you."

"Well, he didn't succeeded." Sam grinned.

"And he is mean to you."

"He is a Decepticon, what were you expecting? It must be in their code to be mean." Sam gave it no importance.

"Do you think... I should...?"

"Seize the day, 'Bee. Until today, you were enemies. How can you make it any worse? Besides, the war is over. This was going to happen eventually. Although I must admit that I'm still a little shocked..." Sam wondered. "What the Hell. Just go for it!"

Bumblebee blinked a couple of times, surprised by Sam's sudden and unexpected acceptance to the idea of him possibly been friendly to Barricade. It was still very odd to think about it, but then again, how bad could it be?

"You know what? I'm giving him a second chance. After all, that's what we are all trying to do here." Bumblebee decided, and finished his high-grade in a gulp. "See you later." He waved and left the table, heading for the exit.

Sam smiled for himself, following his best cybertronian friend with his gaze. He knew that he was not going to be able to be by Bumblebee's side forever. And Sam did not want his friend to miss the little joys that life had to offer because of him.

* * *

><p>The singing and dancing contest ended up, unsurprisingly, with Knock Out as the best singer and Arcee as the best dancer.<p>

"It looks like fighting is not the only thing that our soldiers are good at after all." Optimus commented, once Jazz had announced the end of the show. Of course, the party would continue until everyone left.

"So it seems." The Decepticon Leader nodded absently, glancing in Skywarp's direction, who was still playing with a human child, of all things. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Optimus.

"Have any of you already used the new Allspark to create new mechs?"

"Sparklings? No." Megatron shook his helm. "We have been too busy reconstructing Cybertron to even think about that. Much less now, with everything that has happened lately.

"I understand." They both fell in a thoughtful silence again. "But I think it would do good for some of your soldiers."

* * *

><p>Barricade was in his alt-form at some distance from the hangar, his chassis low on his tires, grumbling and cursing everything and everyone. Knock Out for been such a loudmouth. Bumblebee for been a stupid Autobot. And himself for been a soft-sparked idiot.<p>

'What on the Pit was I thinking?' He snarled inwardly, angrier with himself more than with anyone else. But the truth was that he somehow had a soft spot for that stupid scout. Maybe it was because he had proven to be a skilled fighter, a quality that he could admire, regardless of the faction. Or because, like him, he also enjoyed a good race. Even that damned shade of bright yellow was pleasing to look at if it was on him...

The police car's frame shook slightly, trying to clear his processors of that kind of corny thoughts. He was starting to sound like a stupid Autobot.

'This fragging planet has an idioticing effect on cybertronians.' He thought. 'Bumblebee spared my life, I brought him a new vocalizer for a much needed repair. We are even. End of the story.' He added for himself, trying to justify his own actions. 'Nothing gained, nothing lost. I'm at peace with that...'

He was pulled from his thoughts by a brief glimpse of bright yellow on his peripheral vision, but when he focused his optics in that direction, there was nothing there.

Humming to himself, he sharpened his sensors. There was a faint signal on his radar. Probably someone trying to mask his signal, but his sensors as a Decepticon hunter were above the average.

Starting his engines in stealth mode, he silently moved towards the signal, more out of curiosity than anything.

It took several minutes of scanning and searching. Silently moving around the Autobot facilities. Small glimpses of yellow once a while betrayed the hidden mech probably as Bumblebee.

"What are you playing at?" Barricade murmured low. He discarded the idea of the Autobot guiding him into a trap. That was not the scout's style.

He mentally shrugged. After all, it had been a long time since he had used his sharp sensors to do what he was best at: to track and hunt down someone hidden. And he had to admit that he was having a great time playing cat and mouse. The scout was good at hiding and masking his signal. But the hunter was very skilled and drew closer with each passing minute.

Finally, he rounded a corner and stopped. Against the wall of a hangar, there were several semi-transparent empty energon containers. It was deep night, and the lighting was dim, but there was definitely something yellow behind them. And the faint signal was coming from that area too.

Smirking for himself, Barricade transformed back to mech form and approached the containers silently.

"Honestly, I expected better from you than to hide behind a translucent-" He started to say, but stopped on his tracks as he rounded the containers. Behind them, there was only an old yellow parachute cloth.

He was about to snarl in frustration, when he noticed a shadow closing on him. With lightning reflexes, sharpened through years of war, Barricade reacted.

The most logical course of action would have been to roll out from the incoming enemy, to avoid the attack from above.

But he was no conventional fighter. Instead of that, he turned up and caught his enemy mid-air, deflecting him from his course, and using his own momentum to tackle him to the ground.

Bumblebee fell hard on his back on the ground with a loud thud that knocked the air out of his vents, Barricade on him, pinning him down with his own weight.

"Almost." Barricade smirked.

"Yeah, almost." Bumblebee replied from the ground, still a little dazed from the impact. They kept their gazes locked for some long seconds, staring sternly at each other. Finally, Bumblebee spoke again. "So, are you going to get off me, or are you actually enjoying the position?"

Barricade cursed the Autobot scout for turning on him the same sentence he had used that morning. He was about to get up when the last events caught up with his processors. The Autobot scout could have remained at the hangar with the rest of his friends, enjoying the rest of the party. But instead of it, he had came after him, lured him into this 'cat and mouse' game. If he had wanted nothing to do with him, he wouldn't had came in the first place. Clearly, the yellow mech wanted something.

To the Pit with everything.

"Actually, yes. I'm enjoying it." Barricade smirked shamelessly, his engines purring seductively.

Bumblebee's optic ridges rose briefly in surprise, but then his optics narrowed again.

"Good. Because I was enjoying it too." The yellow mech replied playfully, his own engines purring low.

The Decepticon hunter chuckled darkly and leaned closer.

"Are you sure about this, Autobot?" He asked, his expression devious, his gaze never leaving the optics of his prey. "Think about our factions, our leaders and our allies... what would they say?"

The Autobot scout reached up a servo and stroked one of Barricade's neck cables with a finger. Then, his servo stopped in a seam, grabbed hold of it, and gently pulled the black and white mech closer.

"To the Pit with our factions, our leaders and our allies." Bumblebee whispered teasingly, his engines purring louder.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Barricade chuckled.

Bumblebee looked deep into his former enemy's crimson optics, looking for doubts, second intentions or hidden motives. But he found none. The police mech had been sincere with him.

"That hangar is mine." The yellow mech said softly, pointing with his helm to the wall beside them. "I think we... would be more comfortable there, and we won't attract undesired attentions..."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at the party hangar, the celebrations were coming to an end. Most of the human N.E.S.T. members had left for a much needed rest. After all, they had to work the next day. The Lennox family had also left, with Sarah holding little Annabelle in her arms, sleeping like an angel despite the excitement still going around her. Blaster had programmed a list of ambient music and had moved to Soundwave's side of the hangar, and was quietly speaking with him.<p>

Skywarp had left Shockwave and Ironhide alone, and had came back with his trinemates and Breakaway, only to find that they had pushed two tables together, and they were now accompanied by Breakdown, Knock Out and Blurr, as well as Sam, Mikaela, Miles and Eleonor.

"So, what's with the hair?" Blurr was asking when Skywarp arrived at the table. "I mean, it has clearly no practical purpose at all, at least not for keeping you warm, because it grows longer only on your heads, and that's not enough to provide sufficient protection."

"Hmm... I really have no idea either..." Miles hummed, sharing confused glances with Mikaela and Sam.

Eleonor smiled quietly.

"Oh, is it time to embarrass the humans with uncomfortable questions?" The black seeker said in amusement, taking a seat beside his trine-leader.

"More like with questions with no clear answers." Sam murmured, a little lost.

"Oh, but they have." Eleonor smiled knowingly.

"Well, and what's your explanation, miss science?" Mikaela teased. Eleonor cleared her throat before speaking.

"Hair was, in prehistoric times at least, a quality indicator in a potential mate. Like the colorful tail of a peacock, for instance."

"What?"

"Think about it. Hair quickly falls or loose its shine and smoothness if you are frequently ill, weak or have a bad diet, as well as turning white and loosing density with age. In those times, selecting a mate with good hair (among other things) was a synonym of good quality genes and health."

The three younger humans looked at her dumbfounded, while most of the mechs at the table surfed the Internet, looking up for some of the terms Eleonor had used in her explanation.

"And why Mikaela's hair is plain and yours form spirals?" Knock Out asked.

Eleonor giggled softly.

"It's called 'straight' hair in Mikaela's case, and 'curly' hair in mine's. It's just different varieties of hair, like the color. It's genetically determined."

"Oh."

"That kind of things, the color of the skin, the color of the eyes, and many other external differences usually characterize different human populations, but inside we all are almost the same. Just like you cybertronians differ in size, frame types and colors, we humans differ in that, but we all are the same race." Eleonor continued to explain.

"You always look at everything from the scientific point of view, don't you?" Miles grinned in amusement.

"Yes, it's the only true way." Eleonor smiled.

"You should give me some lessons. I'm having a hard time this year with my biology classes." Miles huffed.

"No way, we need her first to cook us some of her delicious Spanish food!" Mikaela pulled Eleonor into a crushing hug, making her gasp.

"Get in line, we hired her first! She is very fun to pick on." Said Frenzy who had appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by Ravage. The cybertronian panther pounced other the two females, but fortunately, Mikaela was quick to dodge, and only Eleonor was pinned to the table by the big cat.

"I can't... breathe." She managed to say. Ravage gave a toothy grin, but got off her quickly. She was thankful that Miles' mastiff was not there at that moment, because it would have surely pounced over her too. That dog was as huge as affectionate.

"Hmm... how intriguing. Everyone owes something to Mikaela." Knock Out mused aloud. "But everyone wants something from Eleonor. What's your secret, woman?"

"I don't know." She replied weakly, still sprawled on the table.

"Because we can abuse her and she never complains!" Frenzy said cheerfully.

"There are just so many wrong things in that sentence..." Sam murmured, shaking his head.

Eleonor face-palmed.

"One of these days..." She started to say as she sat up. "I am going to get angry. _Really_ angry... and then I... uhm... I will _yell_ at someone!" She crossed her arms in a defiant manner, resolve burning in her eyes. Everyone stared at her with a surprised expression.

"Eleonor, my friend..." Frenzy put an arm casually around Eleonor's shoulders. "Annabelle is the cutest thing in this Base. But the second prize goes for you." And that prompted everyone to burst in laughter.

The young woman's shoulders slumped in defeat.

Starscream chuckled darkly in amusement at his pet's predicament. Deciding that he had seen enough of her been picked on by almost everyone, he decided to intervene. Reaching out a servo, he picked her carefully between two claws, and placed her on his other servo.

"Come on. I could use some fresh night air." The beige seeker said, standing and heading for the exit.

The rest of the presents watched them leave, with several degrees of surprise.

"Well, Starscream to the rescue. Who knew." Sam arched an eyebrow.

"He is the Second in Command. He doesn't need excuses to do what he wants." Thundercracker said, uninterested, taking a sip of his high-grade.

"And since when do you defend Starscream so much?" Skywarp wondered aloud.

"Since he is going to be the only brother I will have left when Megatron finishes you for the 'fusion cannon incident'." The blue seeker replied.

"Awww... I had forgotten!" Skywarp crumbled and leaned his helm on the table. "Why did you have to remember it? This is still revenge for the last prank, isn't it?"

"Yep." Thundercracker replied calmly, patting his defeated brother on a shoulder plate.

"Is he really going to deactivate him?" Mikaela asked, concerned, to the blue seeker. Thundercracker shook his helm and winked an optic, a small smirk creeping into his face-plates. Mikaela sighed, relieved.

"And what's with the eyes?" Blurr chirped, back to the previous conversation. "I mean, Sam's are like grey, but Miles and Mikaela's are blue, and Eleonor's are brown. Does that have any additional function?"

"Oh! Good question! And can you have red eyes too?" Knock Out added.

"Can't you guys just look it up on the Internet?" Miles stared at the curious cybertronians.

"Yes, but asking is funnier." Frenzy chimed, sitting casually beside Ravage.

"It could be worse." Miles said uninterestedly. "They could be asking how we make babies."

"Reaaally? How do you make them?" Skywarp asked in a sing-song voice, his previous gloomy aura vanishing.

"You fool! What have you done!" Sam lunged for his best friend and started to strangle him. Mikaela burst in laughter.

"Woah, that 'you fool' has sounded almost like Megatron's." Frenzy chuckled. And Mikaela was laughing so hard by then that her sides started to hurt.

* * *

><p>Starscream wandered around the Base for a while until he stopped next to an empty container where he left Eleonor, so that he could speak at level with her.<p>

"Thanks for the rescue." Eleonor whispered with complicity.

"Only _I_ have the right to pick on my pet." Starscream smirked, his optics flashing bright with amusement before turning to glance at the night sky, crystal clear in the dry desert climate, where the stars were shining brightly. He spread his wings and fluttered them, letting the fresh breeze caress them.

Eleonor shook her head and hid a smile. She couldn't get mad at anyone, much less at the beige seeker.

"Are you in need of a flight?" She asked, a little concerned, noticing how Starscream was looking into the night.

"Hmm. Skywarp and Thundercracker are fine because they had been doing reconnaissance flights and patrols in Cybertron lately. But I think I've been spending too much time at the lab this last days, and it's catching up with me now." He said. "I understand the decision of keeping us grounded here as a security measure, but... it's still uncomfortable." He sighed. "But don't worry, I've had far worse."

"Tomorrow we'll be heading back to Cybertron, and you will be free to go for a long ride." She smiled, trying to encourage him.

The seeker nodded, still looking to the stars, but his mind was elsewhere for several minutes.

"Eleonor." He said suddenly, turning to look at her, his expression very serious.

"Yes, Sir?" She stood to attention, equally formal. Starscream only used her name when what he was about to say was really important.

"What would you say, if I were to tell you to stay here on Earth?"

* * *

><p>"So, have you decided who are you going to bring along to Cybertron? Besides from Ironhide, who has invited himself." Megatron asked, glancing at the now tranquil party hangar.<p>

"Ratchet." Optimus replied, and Megatron grunted in acknowledgement. "And a third one who is to be decided yet."

The Prime glanced at Jazz and Prowl, who were sharing a table, quietly talking and drinking. He had thought about choosing one of the two, but the Autobots needed their Second and Third in command should something happen to him. Besides, Megatron had almost killed Jazz in the battle at Mission city, and Prowl hated Megatron for that. For many other things, of course, but specially for that. Prowl would obediently comply with Optimus' orders, but he would be very uncomfortable working near the Decepticon Leader. It was no secret that Prowl and Jazz cared deeply for each other, and it would be very cruel to separate them if it could be avoided.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were also behaving very well in Decepticon company right now, but it was true that Megatron had chosen to bring to Earth the calmest or most obedient of his soldiers. The Decepticons back in Cybertron would not be so prone to behave, and Sunstreaker was specially well known for having a short temper. Not to mention that not all of their pranks would be welcomed. And of course, he didn't want to separate them either.

Bumblebee would have been a good option. But he didn't know how he would react at the idea. Or his human friends, for that matter. They were very close. And of course, there was also the fact that it had been actually Megatron himself who had ripped off Bumblebee's vocalizer many years ago...

"Just pick anyone. They are your soldiers. They have blind faith in you. They will obey your orders despite not liking them." Megatron said, making Optimus snap out of his thoughts.

"That's my problem. That they will obey despite not liking them." Optimus murmured. "I'm just trying to think about someone who could be more or less comfortable surrounded by potentially hostile Decepticons in a planet that is no longer ours." He added, perhaps a little too resentfully.

"None of them would be comfortable." Megatron replied. Optimus' slight resent didn't go unnoticed, but he ignored it. It was logical, after all. They had been banned from Cybertron and condemned to live on this mud-ball planet. "But know that no harm will come to them under my watch. This, I vow." He added solemnly.

Optimus nodded, silently thanking Primus for bringing his old brother back. He could be more harsh and ruthless after all those years of war, but he was still the High Lord Protector.

Suddenly, a message popped in his HUD.

Megatron, noticing Optimus' expression changing and his optics dimming briefly, arched an optic ridge, tilting his helm slightly in a questioning gesture.

"Well, I think I have a volunteer for that last vacant."

* * *

><p>Eleonor's mouth opened, her mind struggling to find an answer, but failed, so, she closed it again.<p>

Starscream studied her expressive features as she fought for a coherent reply. Surprise. Hurt. Dissapointment. Sadness. All that was to be expected. But all that feelings were later replaced by acceptance. Laced with a certain bitterness, but acceptance nonetheless. And that was not to be expected. Any other human in her place would had probably put up a fight, bringing up arguments to prove their worthiness and usefulness.

But again, Eleonor was unlike any other human. This, the seeker knew very well.

"I know that you don't wish to put me in harm's way." She said after a while trying to regain her composure. She had tried to maintain her tone even, but a slight sadness was still recognizable in her voice. "If you consider that me staying here is the best for your mission, I'll stay. I understand that we have bumped into something really serious and important. And definitely much bigger than me." She explained. "I do not wish to compromise your duties."

Starscream stared at her for a long time, studying her face, noticing her eyes, shinier than usual.

"You are not angry?" It was more a statement than a question.

"No... maybe a little sad. But if it is for the best, I know my place." She sighed, managing to summon a sad smile.

"You truly don't like to put up a fight, do you?" Starscream rested his forearms on the container, and nudged Eleonor very gently with the back of a claw.

"Well... you are my boss. I must obey." She replied humbly.

Starscream nodded, pleased. He secretly enjoyed been obeyed so faithfully. Trusted so blindly. Maybe it was for his famous lust for power and recognition, but he found it soothing.

"And you my little loyal assistant." The seeker smirked, his previously serious expression softening as he regarded her for a little longer. "Anyway..." He said suddenly after a while. "You _are_ still coming tomorrow with us if you want to."

Eleonor's eyes widened and she was again speechless for some seconds.

"So... what was the point of all this conversation?" She finally asked.

"The point is, that this mission could turn dangerous if something goes wrong, and I care enough for you to not wanting to endanger you unnecessarily. And if I must be honest, my first intention was to leave you here on Earth. Safe." He admitted. "However, experience has proven that you are very useful in unexpected situations." He explained, and made a pause.

"I understand." She nodded.

"This is not the same as when I asked you several weeks ago if you wanted to assist me in exploring that planet. This is far more serious. And I cannot fully guarantee your safety if something goes wrong." He warned seriously. "However, you have my word that I will do my best to protect you." Eleonor nodded again, her expression turning serious. "So, as the terms have changed, I find myself obliged to ask you this again: Eleonor, do you still want to come and help me and the rest of us in this important mission?" He asked, extending a servo to her.

Eleonor didn't even have to think about it.

"I want to help. Take me with you." She smiled, placing her tiny hand on the seeker's servo. "I don't wish to be anywhere else."

"Good." Starscream nodded solemnly. "And if something goes wrong, just stick with me and follow my commands like you always do."

"Of course." She smiled warmly. The seeker returned a smirk.

"And come here, your thermal readings are dropping dramatically out here as we speak." He added, as he curled his servo around her and picked her up, finally placing her over his shoulder-plates.

"Thank you." Eleonor sighed in content, feeling the warm air that ascended from the seeker's frame. She had been too worried to notice, but she had been almost shivering. "I'm not touching anything sensitive up here, am I?"

"No, you aren't. Don't worry." Starscream chuckled, amused by her petty worries.

Eleonor smiled and moved a little closer to the seeker's helm, just happy to be in that privileged spot and feeling secretly honored by the seeker's previous confession.

'_I care enough for you to not wanting to endanger you unnecessarily.'_

He cared.

They fell in a comfortable silence, just enjoying the night and the mutual company for long minutes.

After a while, the peace and quiet was interrupted by the sound of roaring car engines.

"What's that?" Eleonor asked, intrigued.

The seeker sharpened his sensors and scanned the area.

"Hmm... it looks like Barricade chasing Bumblebee."

"In the middle of the night?"

"Yes."

"Should we be worried?" Eleonor asked in concern.

"I highly doubt it." Starscream smirked. "Let's go inside. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. We should rest."

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Sorry for the delay, but I've got a couple of surprises for you! Well, about the chapter, I know it is just a transition chapter and a little fluffy. But I needed to give an end to the party and set everything ready for the next one, where they will be returning to Cybertron and everything will be a little more serious again. And I think it didn't turn out so bad after all. Oh, I highly recommend to listen to the songs mentioned in the singing and dancing contest!

Secondly, about 'Bee and 'Cade. I couldn't help it, I am sorry if you don't like the pair. I've taken out of this chapter what happened between them, giving only slight hints. If you want to know what really happened, I have written a small one-shot for robot-sexiness and smut. I'll be posting it in a couple of days, separatedly. The thing is, I really don't know how to rate it, because my envision of cybertronian interfacing is very far from any human anatomy. Keep an eye out for it if you want to read it.

And lastly, I did a small sketch of Eleonor *blushes* If you want to know how she is on the outside, I'm leaving the link on my profile. Just for helping your imagination to envision her as I designed her.

PD: I think I won't have time to post anything else in a while because 'semana santa' vacations are coming and I'm going to spend them in Morocco, doing a little off-roading.

Thanks for everything.


	20. Protocols

Chapter 20: Protocols

The sound of a coffee cup falling to the floor, breaking and spilling its contents resounded in the empty dining hangar.

"What did you just say?" Mikaela asked, her voice quivering. But it was a rhetorical question. She had heard Bumblebee clearly.

"I am going to Cybertron." The scout repeated, sitting on the floor in front of Mikaela and Sam, who was still too shocked to speak, and could only stare at his best cybertronian friend with wide eyes.

"B-but... there are many other mechs here at the base... couldn't Optimus just choose someone else?"

The yellow mech was in silence for some seconds before answering.

"I... _volunteered_." He admitted. "Optimus is going to need someone to help him searching for Omega, and I am one of the best scouts he has."

"...So, that's how it's going to be? You get all warmed up and cozy with your new monochromatic friend, and you just dump us here... I can't believe it." Sam hissed resentfully, crumbling onto a chair.

Bumblebee's doorwings stiffened in surprise at the resentful tone in his best human friend's voice.

"Sam..."

"What are you talking about?" Mikaela rose an eyebrow.

"Bumblebee and Barricade. They seem to be getting along _very nicely_ lately, don't you, 'Bee?" Sam almost growled.

Mikaela rose both eyebrows, and then frowned, glaring at the scout.

"_That_ has nothing to do with this. I just want to help Optimus. He has been having a hard time to decide who is going to accompany him to Cybertron, because it is going to be very uncomfortable for everyone, and it can be dangerous."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Sam, please, you must understand-" Bumblebee tried to say.

"I don't care." Sam cut him harshly, and turned to leave, heading to the human sized rest rooms of the Base, where cybertronians couldn't go.

Mikaela regarded the yellow mech with one last hurt glance, and turned, following Sam at a hurried pace.

Bumblebee whined low, his door-wings dropping behind him as he was left alone in the solitary hangar.

* * *

><p>"We are really doing it, aren't we?" Ironhide asked, his gaze fixated on the Decepticon flagship that was currently docked just next to the Autobot Base, looming over them like a colossal behemoth, engulfing the biggest hangars with its ominous shadow.<p>

"Yes." Optimus succinctly replied as he observed his Decepticon counterpart. Megatron had already gathered his soldiers, and was giving them some instructions, possibly for when they reached Cybertron.

"Do you really trust _him_?" The weapons specialist asked, giving the Decepticon Leader a sideways glance and puffing a gust of air through his vents. In order to work towards peace, Ironhide was willing to do a lot of sacrifices. But working so close to the very mech that had started the war, the one that had been responsible for so many deaths... was a difficult feat.

"There is something... different about him." The Prime murmured thoughtfully. "I still don't know exactly what it is. But he is more like the Megatron that I knew before the war. The one that really cared about his people. Eons of war may have hardened him... but the old Megatron is still somewhere within him, full of potential." He explained.

"Optimus, you know I have never doubted you, but... are we placing our trust in our deadliest enemy just because of a _hunch_?"

"Not exactly." The Prime made a pause and seemed to be engrossed with his own thoughts for a long time before continuing in a low voice. "I sensed it within me. When he arrived here, the Matrix of Leadership filled me with a strange but soothing feeling of peace and calmness, begging me to listen to what he had to say..." He trailed off. "And we can't forget the fact that Alpha Trion is with him."

"That old senile rust bucket?" Ironhide grunted. "Are you sure he is who he claims to be?"

"Ratchet himself did a medical check on him... "

"Yeah, I saw the look on Ratchet's face-plates when they came out of the med-bay. He said that he had never seen that kind of materials in a mech."

"And we had witnessed that Megatron had tried his best to behave properly while in our Base, agreeing to our terms, even disarming himself." Optimus argued.

"That made him only a _little_ less dangerous." Ironhide replied. "And his soldiers had been fully functional."

"And in their best behaviour, considering that they are still Decepticons."

"I can't deny that." Ironhide had to admit. "Even Starscream seems... more in line."

"Maybe Megatron is not the only one that is having a... _change of heart_, as the humans say." Optimus smiled. "I though you were smoothing things over with Shockwave last night."

"Hmmppf." Ironhide huffed. "I was just keeping an eye on him. With Megatron disarmed, Shockwave is next on my list of deadliest 'Cons." He justified himself.

"And I appreciate your caution, old friend." Optimus nodded and smiled faintly, and Ironhide finally seemed to be at ease thanks to his Leader's acknowledgement.

"What is still a mystery to me, is how that woman manages to keep herself alive among this gang of bullies."

That prompted a small amused chuckle from the usually serious Prime.

"Maybe you should ask her later."

* * *

><p>By the time Megatron had finished addressing his troops, Optimus had gathered his own chosen soldiers. The Decepticon Leader glanced over the small Autobot team. Ironhide, who seemed mistrustful of the whole situation, was watching carefully the group of Decepticons. Megatron didn't blame him. Ratchet, who seemed to be more at ease, was speaking quietly with Optimus. And Bumblebee, who looked like an abandoned puppy, with his shoulders slumped and his door-wings hanging low, was staring into the distance.<p>

Eleonor was quietly waiting next to the Librarian, watching the amazing beings that were cybertronians making last minute arrangements before their departure.

"What's wrong, little one?" The old Prime asked, his voice regal and gentle, as usual. Eleonor looked back at him with a sheepish smile.

"Am I that easy to read?" She asked. The Librarian nodded with a small smile. She sighed and continued. "I feel a little... _small_." The librarian's expression went blank. "I mean, of course I am small compared to you. That was a silly thing to say... What I wanted to say, was that _this_ is serious business what we have ahead." She gestured at the Autobot and Decepticon troops preparing to enter the spaceship. "I want to help, but I don't know if it will be enough..."

The old Prime pondered her words for some seconds, and crouched a little, to be closer to her, his old joints complaining in the process.

"Well, you have managed to make yourself useful until now, haven't you?" He said. Eleonor nodded hesitantly. "Then, why should it be any different now?"

"Because, until now, the tasks that I have been assigned to were within my reach." She replied. "But this time, I am not so sure. I don't know if I will be able to help."

"Just continue doing your best everyday." The Librarian smiled kindly. "Sometimes you don't need to be big to achieve great things."

Eleonor stared back at him, reflecting on the old Prime's words, trying to memorize them and to make them her everyday purpose. After all, it was the wisdom of the Original Thirteen speaking to her.

"Thank you, Alpha Trion. I'll do my best." And remembering who she was speaking to, she added. "I don't remember if I've already told you this, but I never imagined that I would be speaking to one of the Thirteen. A being almost as old as my planet. Hell, five years ago I didn't even know that there were other civilizations out there..." She trailed off. "...I feel honored to speak with you." She finally said, smiling gratefully.

"Don't worry." He smiled back.

* * *

><p>Megatron, Starscream and Shockwave were the only Decepticons remaining outside. The rest had already boarded the ship. Soundwave was at the main bridge, starting the engines, letting them warm up a little before the launch.<p>

"Are you done, Optimus?" The Decepticon Leader asked, coming closer to the blue and red Prime.

The Autobot Leader turned to address one last time to his Second and Third in Command.

"Optimus, if you dare to leave us stranded on a planet teeming with humans, I will never forgive you." Prowl said grimly.

"What Prowl here means ta say is, stranded on da same planet as Charlotte Mearing." Jazz grinned, his visor flashing. "Safe travel, Boss 'Bot." He added, this time more serious.

Optimus nodded solemnly, and commanded his troops to leave.

"Wait!" A familiar voice shouted from the nearest hangar.

Bumblebee turned on his way to the spaceship. Sam and Mikaela made a dash towards him. The yellow scout couldn't wait for them to arrive, so he ran in their direction too, crouching and wrapping them with his arms as soon as they were at reach.

"We are so, so sorry 'Bee!" Mikaela said, tears in her eyes.

"I said horrible things to you... I didn't want to, I'm so sorry..." Sam was also on the verge of tears.

"It's okay, shhh." Bumblebee tried to soothe them.

"I was a selfish dumb-ass, honestly. I know you want to be useful and help. And I know that you are a capable warrior... it was just... I was worried, okay? I couldn't bear the thought of you been so far away, of you in danger, in need of assistance. And us here, without any means to help you..."

"I won't be alone." The yellow mech whispered, nuzzling his best human friends carefully. "I'll come back. I promise." He said, his voice laced with emotion. And he really intended to keep that promise.

"Please, be safe 'Bee. You mean a lot to me." Mikaela said, wiping away her tears and placing a kiss on Bumblebee's metal cheek.

"You'll always be my first car, 'Bee." Sam added in a whisper, rubbing the scout's face affectionately.

"For the love of Primus." Megatron huffed, near the boarding ramp. "Is it always like that?" He asked to the Autobot Leader.

Optimus shrugged apologetically.

"Be careful with bucket head." Mikaela added very low, only for the three of them to hear.

Bumblebee chuckled softly, and stood carefully.

"I'll be back." He said, replaying a clip from _Terminator_, and earning a small smile from this human friends. And with that, he finally headed to the Nemesis.

But he had barely put a foot inside the Decepticon warship when a sudden smack to the helm nearly made him stumble, the loud clank ringing in his audio receptors for some seconds.

He turned, ready to retaliate against his aggressor, but stopped dead when he saw the mech in front of him.

"That's for making your elders wait." The Librarian said, turning to head to the main bridge. "And for worrying your friends." He added, smiling for himself.

* * *

><p>To say that to be inside the Nemesis was odd was an understatement. It was odd, extremely unsettling and it felt wrong in so many ways that Ironhide didn't even know where to start listing them. And Megatron reattaching his trademark fusion cannon and arm-blade wasn't a reassuring sight either as he and Optimus entered the main bridge of the ship.<p>

"Shockwave, take us off this rock." Megatron ordered, his voice calm, but laced with that undeniable might he had. The cyclops mech gave a short nod in acknowledgement and took a seat at his usual terminal. "Soundwave, ready the space bridge and head back to Cybertron as soon as we leave the gravitational well of this planet."

Optimus watched as the Decepticon Leader issued orders to his underlings.

"Optimus." Megatron finally directed his attention to the Prime. "You will follow my commands while in my territory as I have followed yours in your Base." He said, his gaze stern on the blue and red mech. Ironhide made an indignant noise, but said nothing.

"It's the fair thing to do." Optimus agreed.

"And with your own safety in mind, I highly recommend you not to wander too far from me or my highest ranking officers." Megatron added, and turned his back to look through the windows. "We will warp back over Kaon, and from there we will move to Kalis, where you said Omega Supreme is supposed to be hidden." He explained, as he watched the blue orb that was the Earth shrink. "If you know anything else that could be useful on this mission, now would be a good time to share it." Megatron turned back to face the Autobots again and regarded Optimus with an inquisitive look.

The Prime stood thoughtful for a while before answering.

"For such an enormous mech, Omega Supreme has a highly efficient system of signal masking. That, and the fact that he is probably in stasis, make him very difficult to locate." The Prime started. "But he has a dormant program designed to respond to a specific signal. The signal of a Prime."

"So, we take you to Kalis, you send a ping and wait for Omega to respond with his location. We go and retrieve the Key without waking him up and mission accomplished." Megatron assumed.

"And if he wakes up?" Shockwave asked, always preferring to bear in mind all the possible scenarios.

"Then I try to talk some sense into him. Or command him. He should follow my orders."

"And if he doesn't listen?"

Optimus hesitated for a brief moment.

"Then you leave plan B to me." Megatron finished, locking his gaze into Optimus'.

"To disable, not to kill, I hope. Omega Supreme is still an Autobot." The Prime frowned, his glare stern on his Decepticon counterpart.

"We'll see if that moment arrives." Megatron glared back, optics narrowing.

* * *

><p>Ratchet stared idly through one of the windows. He had seen Kaon, back to its splendor. Even brighter than before the War. It was still a sinister place, but the Decepticons had done a great work restoring it.<p>

The Nemesis was bound for Kalis, but the shortest route, in straight line, passed over Iacon. And it was the old Autobot Capital what they were flying over at the moment.

And it hurt.

The medic averted his optics from the window, unable to bear the sight any longer. He knew he was going to witness unpleasant things when Optimus chose him for this mission. He knew it.

But it still hurt.

To be back on Cybertron, but still missing his true home, because all that was left of it was ruins and broken memories.

Thundercracker was also on the same room as Ratchet, and the medic's pained expression didn't go unnoticed. He wanted to say something comforting to the Autobot, but after a long minute of unsuccessfully trying to do it, he gave up. There was nothing he could say now to make anything better.

Finally, deciding to do something instead of saying something, he approached Ratchet, a small cube of high-grade in each servo.

"For the old times." He said quietly, offering one of the cubes to the Autobot.

Ratchet regarded the blue seeker for a several seconds, maybe expecting to find mockery or smugness in his optics, but he found none. Slowly, he took the cube.

"For the old times." He replied back, and they downed the cubes together.

They continued sharing the silence for several minutes, until the seeker received a comm. link from his trine-leader, calling him.

"Do you ever feel remorse, Thundercracker?" Ratchet asked, making the blue mech stop on his way out, one servo leaning on the door-frame, his back turned.

The seeker hesitated for several seconds, as if fearing that his answer could be detrimental to his status or reputation.

"Every single day." He replied, barely above a whisper, and he exited the room.

* * *

><p>Eleonor watched through the cabin's glass Thundercracker and Skywarp gliding effortlessly in the air, the blue seeker to her right, the purple one to the left. She was inside Starscream's cockpit. They had left the Nemesis before its arrival to Kalis, with the purpose of doing some previous reconnaissance among the ruins, looking for potential places where the gargantuan mech could be hiding. And, as it was only reconnaissance, Starscream had seen fit to bring his human along.<p>

"Spread. Report back with anything unusual in five breems." Starscream ordered aloud through the comm. link, and immediately, his trine-mates barreled and disappeared from sight, taking opposite directions.

"How big is exactly this Omega Supreme?" Eleonor asked after a while in silence.

"Big enough that even _I_ wouldn't try to piss him off." Starscream replied.

"Big enough that even _I_ wouldn't dare to pull a prank on him." Skywarp piped in, making Eleonor realize that the comm. link was open.

"Approximately, as big as the Nemesis." Thundercracker summarized.

Eleonor gasped and felt a shiver run up her spine.

* * *

><p>The Nemesis had landed on an old road, barely wide enough for the huge ship to stop. Optimus, Megatron, Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Shockwave, Breakdown, Knock Out and Barricade got out. Only Soundwave, his symbionts and Alpha Trion remained aboard.<p>

::Take off again but remain close. You are plan B. Though I really hope that I don't have to resort to it:: Megatron ordered Soundwave through his private comm. link.

Soundwave sent back a silent ping of acknowledgement and soon the ship was again hovering above them, heading north.

Megatron waited until the sound of the Nemesis' engines had been downed by the distance, and then he turned to address Optimus.

"Send that ping."

The Autobot Leader nodded, and relaxed, focusing on his Matrix of Leadership, asking for power, taking in its unique resonance, and then releasing a wide-range signal, encrypted with an unique signature that identified him as Optimus Prime and as a Matrix-bearer.

And they waited.

And waited. Fot a long time.

Optimus was starting to think that it hadn't worked, that Omega Supreme was not in Kalis, after all. But suddenly, he got an answer.

"He... pinged back." Optimus said, hesitantly. "It was an automated reply. Very low frequency. Weak. Very vague. But I think we can narrow our search efforts to this area." Optimus lifted his wrist and projected a holo-map with the city's street plan. Then, he highlighted a smaller circle with the origin of the signal.

"Let's move." Megatron ordered. He didn't want to waste time. "Barricade, go ahead and scan the area." He pointed to an old road that despite been semi-ruined, was still suitable to be used.

"Bumblebee, you too. Your scanners are also highly advanced." Optimus added.

The hunter and the scout nodded briefly to their leaders, and dropping into alt-mode, they shot off by the old highway.

The rest of the mechs transformed and headed for their destination at a more sedated pace.

* * *

><p>The seeker trine had also received the coordinates, and were already searching the area, cunning sensors trying to find any trace of suspicious energy or strange signals. The place had been an ample square surrounded by tall buildings when the city was inhabited. But now, most of the tall spires lied in ruins, crumbled over their own foundations or pulled down over the ample space, their debris littering the ground.<p>

::Commander Starscream, could you send us a sky visual?:: Barricade requested through the comm. link. He and the Autobot scout had just arrived at the meeting point.

The trine-leader sent visuals and scan results to Barricade and Bumblebee.

::Our scanners can't pick anything either. There's nothing here...:: Skywarp murmured.

::Nothing we can see:: Bumblebee said, transforming and climbing to a half crumbled tower, to take a general look of the zone. ::Can seeker scanners go past the concrete of the square?::

::Negative. Too thick::

::Let's have a look:: Barricade suggested, and approached to a crack open in the concrete due to a building that had crumbled over it.

The opening was narrow, and only the hunter and the scout were able to go through. Below the surface, they found conduits and pipes, that had carried fuel and energy long time ago, when the city was still inhabited.

::What's supposed to be here?:: Barricade asked.

::Conduits and tubes:: Starscream replied, after checking the city map. ::Have you found anything else?::

::Not yet::

Bumblebee and Barricade were walking down a narrow corridor that was getting darker and darker as they got deeper underground.

All of a sudden, the corridor made a unsettling noise of metal giving away and they stopped in their tracks.

"What the frag was that?" Barricade muttered.

"It seems that the structural integrity is compromised here. We should-ah!"

The narrow passage they were using broke suddenly, and Bumblebee and Barricade had to grab hold of the cables along the walls to avoid falling down with half of the corridor.

"Scrap! That was close." The black and white mech huffed and looked down. He heard the wreckage of the passage crashing into the ground after several seconds. "And it's a long fall."

Bumblebee approached to the edge and looked down. There was a great empty space below them, but it was utterly in darkness. He lighted his headlights and tried to lit the interior of the big cave they had reached.

"Holy frag!" Barricade exclaimed. "I didn't remember him been _so big_!"

::Optimus, we have found him::

* * *

><p>Optimus and Megatron stood now in front of the huge space cruiser that was Omega Supreme in his alt form. It's outer hull was damaged in several sections, and the parts that protruded from it's frame, like ailerons and sensor arrays, were all broken.<p>

They had reached the underground using a maintenance passage that was pictured in the city map. The rest of the team was waiting outside.

Approaching the main gate, the Autobot Leader sent a ping to the lock. It took them a few seconds, but the doors slided aside with a loud hiss of unused hydraulics, and stopped with a painful whirr of broken gears, leaving the door half-open. Fortunately, it was enough for Optimus and Megatron to come through.

"Do you know where the Key is?" Megatron asked as they walked inside the ship, his deep voice unusually quiet, as if fearing awaking the gargantuan mech.

"I don't know exactly." Optimus replied. "But I can find out if I access the data logs." He approached a terminal in a wall and started it. A screen lit up, its crystal cracked, but still functional. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for. "It's in the lower deck. In a specially reinforced room."

Megatron nodded, and let Optimus walk in front of him, leading the way through doors and ramps.

Finally, they arrived to the room. It was dimly lit and it had a reinforced compartment at the end of a walkway.

Optimus sent another ping, and the reinforced vault opened, revealing the Key to Vector Sigma, floating in a column of glass. He smiled in relief.

"Well, that was an easy mission, for a change." The red and blue mech whispered, and took a step towards the key.

But only a step was all he could take before the compartment closed again suddenly.

"What...?"

A low rumble echoed through the ship, the halls vibrating faintly, and the lighting inside the reinforced chamber changed from white to red.

"**Intruders detected in storage hold number one."** A deep voice announced, making both leaders visibly flinch.

"**Omega Supreme?"** Optimus asked, not knowing where to look at.

"**Intruders identified as Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots and Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons."** The ship continued to announce, ignoring the red and blue mech.

"**Oh. please, tell us something we don't know." **Megatron murmured ironically.

"**Potential threat detected in intruder Megatron. Recommended course of action: **_**termination**_**."** The ship informed, ruthlessly. And as the announce ended, several plates on the walls shifted, revealing machine-guns that automatically targeted the Decepticon Leader, their barrels starting to whirl.

"**Omega!"** Optimus roared, stomping in front of Megatron, putting himself between the other mech and the guns. **"I command you to stand down! I am Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots, bearer of the Matrix of Leadership. You must obey me."** He yelled, full of confidence.

The barrels of the guns stopped whirling, and Optimus and Megatron released their metaphorical breaths as nothing occurred in the next ten seconds.

"**Omega, open the vault. I need the Key to Vector Sigma."** Optimus ordered. The ship was again in silence for some seconds. **"Omega..."** The Autobot Leader said, a warning in his tone.

"**Omega Supreme is in charge of the protection of the Key."** The ship replied, stubbornly.

"**I know. But we are in need of the key now."** Optimus insisted. **"You have been in stasis for a long time. The War has ended, and we have a truce with the Decepticons... We need your help, Omega."**

There was a long pause in which Omega seemed to be processing the new information gathered about his intruders.

"**Omega has reached a conclusion."** He announced, and Optimus seemed relieved for a second. **"Optimus Prime is now aligned with the Decepticons, or under Megatron's control. Either way, I cannot allow the Key to fall in enemy hands."**

"**What!"** Optimus and Megatron gasped at unison.

"**Preventive fire will be used. Please, abandon the ship **_**now**_**."** Was the last thing Omega said before the sound of machine-gun fire flooded their audio receptors.

Optimus and megatron scrambled to the exit, only to find more weaponry been deployed behind the shifting panels of the corridors.

"I knew it! It couldn't be so easy!" Megatron huffed, rolling on the floor and taking cover behind a support.

"Slag." Optimus cursed. Something extremely unusual in him.

"**Enemies detected within proximity. Engaging defensive protocols."**

A low rumble crossed the halls, and the whole ship seemed to shook.

"It can't be..." Optimus murmured in disbelief, optics wide.

Then, a pause, and suddenly sounds of hissing hydraulics, gears whirling and cogs shifting flooded the halls as the corridors started to angle down and shift.

"Well, at least now I know that it can't get any worse." Megatron roared over the noise and grabbed Optimus by an arm, pulling him out of the way of a wall-panel that was moving.

"We have to get out of here!" Optimus started to run with Megatron trailing close behind, dodging gunfire and walls shifting. "I'm familiar with Omega's transformation sequence. It's slow because he's huge. It takes almost a breem. And the last parts to shift are the upper levels. We would be safer if we manage to reach them. From there we could leave through an emergency exit."

"Good plan. Call the rest of the team to warn them." Megatron agreed as they continued their dash through the gargantuan mech. "I'm calling Soundwave to tell him to activate plan B."

"Dare I ask what is plan B about?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

* * *

><p>Soundwave and Alpha Trion were at the Nemesis' control bridge when the communications' monitor lit alive.<p>

::Soundwave!:: Megatron shouted. Shots and other sounds could be heard in the background.

::Lord Megatron:: The blue and silver mech replied stoically, but inside him he felt an unfamiliar pang of dread when he heard the desperate edge in Megatron's voice.

::Optimus' plan has failed. We need plan B!::

::Sir...:: For the first time, Soundwave seemed to hesitate.

::Engage _Protocol-T._ Now!:: Megatron ordered, very serious.

::Acknowledged:: Was all Soundwave replied before drawing his feelers and using them to connect himself to the Nemesis' main control frame.

With his visor brightening with determination, he started overriding security firewalls.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Finally! I am veeery sorry that this chapter took so long. Spring vacations were in between, and then I was very busy and then my muse went on vacation... Anyway. Here it is. The first part is a little boring because I needed to write a transition. But I hope you liked the ending. Things are going to get very interesting and with tons of action! Care to guess what the Nemesis' Protocol-T is going to be?


	21. Battleground

Chapter 21: Battleground

"Out of here, NOW!" Ironhide roared as soon as he received the warning from Optimus.

"Ground units divide in groups of two and scatter. We fliers will keep him distracted." Shockwave ordered, ignoring the chain of command, but no-one complained. After all, he was the best tactician in the team, and that strategy was the most advisable when dealing with a huge enemy like the one they were about to engage.

The ground started to shook violently, and the cybertronians in vehicle mode had barely enough time to get out of the ample square before the concrete broke apart abruptly, some fragments collapsing and falling into the underground, and others sent flying.

"Scrap!" Starscream cursed as he barreled suddenly to avoid been hit by a piece of flying debris. "This was supposed to be an easy mission!"

Eleonor held tightly to the seat belt strapped around her, and Starscream could felt the increase in her heart-rate.

She knew all too well that there was nothing she could do to help in this situation, and that frustrated her. Omega Supreme dwarfed even his own kind. He was massive, as big as the Nemesis, as Thundercracker had told her, and he was transforming and surging from under the city itself.

Even more, she was a handicap, because she needed protection, and with her inside, Starscream couldn't fly at his top speed.

"Eleonor." Starscream said, his voice deadly serious, making her snap out of her destructive spiral of thoughts. "I'm going to leave you in one of the buildings far from the battle. I'll come for you later to retrieve you."

"Okay." She nodded quickly, as the seeker accelerated, heading out of the battle.

The seeker stopped at an old building that had miraculously managed to survive almost intact through the war. In its day, the sturdy construction had been a military barrack.

"Stay here." Starscream ordered, extracting from subspace a couple of oxygen cylinders and giving them to Eleonor. He didn't know how the battle was going to end or how long it was going to take, and just in case he wanted his pet to be prepared.

Eleonor, for his part, took the gesture as a bad omen.

"Please, be careful, Sir." She said, worry written in her face.

Starscream looked back at her for a brief moment, his spark swirling with feelings he definitely should not have. Why did that tiny little face full of concern make his defenses falter? This was very uncharacteristic from him. He was a war-hardened warrior, for Primus' sake.

"It takes more than one oversized bolt bucket to stop the Air Commander." He replied with his trademark mischievous smirk, regaining his usual confident demeanor. "Do not move from here." He repeated, and recoiling a couple of steps, he jumped and transformed mid-air, taking off to the battle with a burst of his thrusters.

"Good luck..." Eleonor whispered to nobody, as she was left alone in the abandoned building, somewhere in the deserted ruins of the city of Kalis.

* * *

><p>Flying at top speed, Starscream arrived back to the square where Omega Supreme was emerging in less than a minute.<p>

And just as he was flying over him, looking for weak spots, a laser beam shot right beside his right wing.

::What the...:: The beige seeker growled through the comm. link, as he changed his course to engage evasive maneuvers. ::Can he shoot while he is changing forms?::

::His transformation takes almost a breem, maybe even more now that he is so low on energon. It would be silly to build the deadliest war machine and make him vulnerable during all that time when he needs to switch modes:: Ratchet explained, taking cover behind a half-crumbled wall with Ironhide. ::He can produce laser guns from almost every section of his outer armor. Be careful::

::Understood. Shockwave, are Megatron and Optimus still inside Omega?::

::Affirmative::

::Thundercracker, Skywarp, destroy that guns as they pop out. Shockwave, blast any transformation cogs that you may find unprotected. That should slow the process even more:: Starscream commanded, taking control of the situation.

With the orders sent, the airborne mechs started to carry out their strategy. Skywarp was never longer than five seconds in the same place, shooting, teleporting out of range before the guns could lock on him, and reappearing in a different place. Starscream was shooting with deadly precision as he made acrobatics at impossible speeds around the huge form of Omega Supreme, attracting most of the fire. Thundercracker did low dives to get close enough to use his sonic bursts, scrambling the signals and jamming the targeting systems. Shockwave, slower that the seekers, but with considerably more firepower, was focusing his blasts on the gaps between the armor of the structures that would later be Omega's legs.

* * *

><p>"Can he produce infinite weapons from the walls or what?" Megatron snarled in frustration, as he and Optimus dashed up a ramp, towards the upper levels, some shots marring his left shoulder-plate.<p>

"No." Optimus sliced one of the guns with his arm-blade, which was quickly replaced by another one in the opposite wall. "Just a lot of them."

"I see." Megatron chopped off the newly appeared gun. "And what happened with the crew members when Omega had to transform in a battle with mechs still inside him?" He asked, out of curiosity.

"The rooms doesn't compress. It would be silly to loose all the cargo and the equipment. They only change position and the halls and corridors disappear." Optimus replied. "So yes, we could as well be safe in one of the rooms." He added, guessing Megatron's next question.

"Safe, but trapped." The Decepticon Leader said. "And where are the emergency exits? Are they still too far away?"

"No, just in the next corridor." Optimus replied, as they turned a corner. "I can see them just ahead!"

As soon as they arrived to the nearest emergency exit, the guns mounted across the walls started to shift and disappear again behind the panels.

"It looks like Omega was also considering the probability of us telling him the truth. He only wanted to push us outside." Optimus said, as he pressed the manual open of the exit gate.

"Well, he looked very serious to me." Megatron complained, pointing to his marred shoulder-plate, where some broken circuits were sparking. Then, he approached Optimus, and helped him opening the gate, that was stuck and needed a hard shove to move aside.

"**Cancelling inner dissuasive fire. Diverting all power to main core."** The ship's P.A. system announced. The faction leaders wondered briefly why the ship was changing his energy priorities. **"Engaging offensive measures. Initializing nucleon-pulse cannons."**

Both Optimus and Megatron froze on their spots and looked back at each other, the exit gate already opened.

"No... it can't be..." Optimus murmured, optics wide.

"Didn't you say that he was very low on energon? Why is it that he is going to power up the nucleon-pulse cannons?" Megatron snarled, his patience running thin. That day, nothing was happening according to the plan.

"And he _is_ very low. He is diverting all the power he has left to initialize the cannons. I doubt that he can fire them more than ten times with that little energon."

"And less than ten shots is all he needs to _obliterate_ what's left of Kalis and all of us with it! Have you seen those things at work? Of course you have, but from the safe point of view!" Megatron roared, his patience evaporating.

Optimus stood, in shock, his right servo still holding the door-frame of the escape exit. Megatron had been on his best behaviour lately, but now, with his patience run out, old war grudges were resurfacing.

"Megatron..." He murmured.

"I am _not_ loosing anyone today." Megatron said firmly, interrupting whatever Optimus was going to say. "Where is the main bridge?" He demanded to know. Optimus looked back at him, his face-plates set in a grim expression.

"I'll guide you there."

And the two faction leaders ran back inside the colossal mech, the emergency exit open and unused behind them.

* * *

><p>::Starscream, Report!::<p>

::We are still shooting down the defensive laser guns on Omega's armor and damaging his transformation cogs to slow the process. Skywarp and Shockwave are down, but they are fine. Ratchet and Knock Out are taking care of them. Any good news from the inside?:: The beige seeker reported.

::No. Only more bad news::

::Come on. What could be worse than this?::

::Omega is diverting all his power to initialize his nucleon-pulse cannons:: Megatron stated bluntly.

::FRAG! As soon as he finishes his transformation we are toast!::

::The cannons are his arms when he is in mech form. I don't care what you need to do, blow them up before he vaporizes us! Over and out:: Megatron ordered and cut the connection.

::All units, focus your fire on Omega's arms!:: Starscream snarled through the open comm. link.

::We are on it! Optimus warned us too!:: Bumblebee reported back.

Starscream did a nose-dive and continued his attacks on his new targets. He was shooting at the area where Omega's massive weapon capacitors were located, but the armor covering them was too thick even for his null-rays. Then, something else caught his attention.

::Bumblebee, Barricade, what the _frag_ are you two doing?:: The Air Commander roared. The scout and the hunter were climbing and running over Omega's frame, halfway to his arms, dodging transformation twists and open gaps in the chassis.

::Can your null-rays damage Omega's armor?:: The yellow mech asked, and Starscream growled threateningly in reply, revealing the painful truth. "Ironhide has given us his thermo-grenades. It's the strongest we have, I'm sure with them we could do some real damage::

Starscream dived again and shot one of his missiles, which hit its target with deadly precision, but left only a scorch mark and a dent in the place. He looked at the general form of the colossal mech. Omega's transformation was almost complete.

::Thundercracker and I will attract the fire. You two, do your worst!::

::With pleasure:: Barricade acknowledged, a smirk in his tone.

The scout and the hunter continued their dangerous task of climbing over Omega's frame. First, they went to the left arm, setting the explosives in a seam, the weakest point they could find in the otherwise impenetrable armor. Barricade was about to left, heading again for Omega's upper arm.

"Wait, we are running out of time." Bumblebee stopped him.

"We are running out of time and you tell me to wait?" Barricade deadpanned.

But all was explained when Bumblebee rose his arm, took aim and shot a grappling hook at Omega's upper chest-plates. The police mech stared with wide optics.

"You have the worst ideas, Bug!" Barricade said, hesitating.

"Starscream said _'do your worst'_, remember?" The yellow scout smirked back.

No time for doubts, Barricade concluded and snarled, launching himself at Bumblebee, using his own momentum to give them a boost.

"And since when do you have a grappling hook?" The police mech yelled as they swung through the air, directly towards Omega's right arm.

"It's new! Ratchet took the opportunity to upgrade my arm when I went to the med-bay to ask him to install the new vocalizer!" Bumblebee replied, as they miraculously landed on their destiny, his feet slipping and almost falling back again.

As soon as they were stable again, Barricade proceeded to place the second set of explosives in another seam, while Bumblebee struggled to unhook himself.

"Done. Let's get out of here before this thing blows up."

"Uhh... about that, funny thing you should ask..." The yellow scout replied sheepishly. "You are not going to believe this..."

"Don't tell me you can't unhook yourself." The black and white mech hissed, glaring daggers at the Autobot who was fruitlessly tugging at the steel rope that kept him connected to the grappling hook. "For spark's sake!" He grabbed the rope and tried to help tugging at it. "Have you retracted the spikes of the hook?"

"Yes, but it's stuck in a seam! Arhg!"

And just then, a deep tremor shook Omega's whole frame, making both mechs stumble and loose their balance. Bumblebee gasped as their feet slipped from the colossal mech's arm, and they swung back.

"Frag!" Barricade spat, once the swing stopped and they were left hanging from Omega's chest, Barricade clinging to the scout for dear life, and Bumblebee still hanging from the rope, the grappling hook still stuck in place. He looked down to contemplate the idea of letting himself fall.

And quickly dismissed it.

"I know it's a silly thing to say now, but please, do not unhook." Barricade said grimly, watching the ground very, very far below them.

"Yeah, well. Starscream is going to be proud of us. We are really doing our worst here." Bumblebee said, trying to find a little humor in their serious predicament. "But look at the bright side, there is no possible way that things can go worse now."

"**Omega Supreme: online."** The gargantuan mech announced, his powerful voice echoing in the vastness of the derelict city.

"I honestly liked you more when you didn't speak." Barricade hissed, but there was an edge of fear in his voice.

And then, the last armor plate in Omega Supreme's transformation sequence shifted into place in his chest, smashing the grappling hook and making the steel rope snap.

"Scrap!" The scout and the hunter cried at unison, as they felt the gravity claiming them.

* * *

><p>Megatron and Optimus had reached the main bridge of Omega Supreme without major setbacks, because the inner defense systems were no longer working.<p>

As soon as they arrived, Optimus made a beeline to the control terminals, and tried to manually override them, only to find that they were not working.

"Manual controls are unresponsive." The Autobot Leader said, dread starting to seize his spark.

"Let me try." Megatron said, his tone grim.

Optimus turned around to face his Decepticon counterpart, and found that Megatron had extracted one of his data-transfer cables from one of his flanks.

Typically, when piloting a vessel, the pilots could connect themselves to the ship's mainframe using their data-transfer cables. This system allowed them a finer control and quicker responses if precise maneuvers were required. This option, however, was rarely used if there were enough pilots to take care of the manual controls, and definitely, was never used by only one mech. The reason was that a spaceship had hundreds of sensors and mechanisms, and the constant data feed of all of them was overwhelming for only one mech.

Bigger ships had even more sensors and sub-systems, making that task harder, even dangerous to try alone. Megatron himself had only met one mech in his long life capable of doing that. Soundwave. And even for him it had been a exhausting experience.

"Even if you could handle the data feed, Omega is not like a common vessel. He is sentient and has a will of his own." Optimus explained.

"I know."

"That connection acts as a two-way feed! He could fry your logic circuits! He will because he has more processor power!"

"I know."

"He will destroy your firewalls and access your data banks!"

"Trust me, _I know_. And If I don't try, you and me are going to loose our finest soldiers today." Megatron said, very seriously, locking his crimson gaze into Optimus' azure one.

Optimus did a deep in-take of air before answering.

"I really wish that you know what you are doing." The Autobot Leader sighed.

"I won't fail this time, brother." Megatron said, placing a servo on Optimus' shoulder-plate. "Take care of me." He added, as he approached the control terminal and connected his data-transfer cable in the nearest port.

And almost immediately, he gave a pained cry and fell to the floor on his knee-joints.

"Megatron!"

* * *

><p>Barricade and Bumblebee braced themselves, prepared for the long fall and the probably lethal landing that they were going to suffer.<p>

"Shoot the explosives on the left arm, Bug, I'll shoot the right one's. If I'm to go down, I'm doing it in a blaze of glory!" Barricade yelled. "And I'm sorry for all the times I've called you _bug_!"

"What a pity that it lasted so little, 'Cade..." Bumblebee replied, and took aim. "...And I'm sorry Sam and Mik." He whispered for himself, his voice downed by the wind rushing against them as they fell.

"Vhaaat? Jou are not gonna stay to vatch zhe fireworks? Vhat a pity!" Said suddenly a new giggling voice.

Bumblebee and Barricade felt how they were wrapped by two strong arms that progressively stopped their fall before pulling up, the loud roar of powerful jet engines briefly clouding their audio receptors as they soared up in the air.

"Blitzwing!" Barricade exclaimed in utter surprise." Turn around and fly back to Omega! We have to blow that cannons up!"

"I know! I know! Starscream informed me. He called me here himself! Ha, ha, ha! Isn't zhat cool?" Blitzwing exclaimed, proudly, his random personality reigning him at that moment. "By zhe way, jou two are _so _cute hugged together! Disgusting, vut cute at zhe same time!"

"Blitzwing, focus!"

"I know!" Blitzwing laughed as he cut the power to his thrusters, and the three of them dived again towards Omega Supreme.

The colossal mech saw them coming, and rose his left arm, aiming at them as the huge weapon capacitor emitted a low, ominous whine.

::NOW!:: Starscream roared through the comm. link.

And at the same time, Bumblebee, Barricade and Blitzwing shot at the weapon capacitor located on the inner side of Omega's left arm, at the same time that Starscream shot two missiles at that same arm's elbow joint, from the outer side.

The combined efforts made Omega miss his shot as his arm was diverted from its original angle. The thermo-grenades exploded with a violent burst that made Blitzwing stumble on his course.

But when the smoke cleared and they zoomed in their target again...

"Impossible!" Bumblebee shouted.

Omega's left arm was almost intact, with only a few cracks. And he was readying another shot.

::Keep shooting, you fools! Did I tell you to stop?:: Came the angered voice of Starscream through the comm. link. He and Thundercracker were still shooting at the weapon capacitor.

Bumblebee, Barricade and Blitzwing obeyed the orders and continued shooting.

It was then when Omega decided to fire his right arm while his left one recharged. The triple-changer had barely enough time to dodge out of the way. He risked a glance in the direction of the missed shot. Omega's nucleon-pulse cannons shot a beam of destructive energy that left almost nothing standing in its path. The ruins of the city were now crossed by an almost circular furrow of destruction, adorned at both sides by charred buildings and molten metals.

But there was no time to think about that. They continued shooting to the left arm until Starscream spoke again.

::Now, Blitzwing, it's your turn!::

Obeying Starscream's signal, Blitzwing dived again and took aim, this time shooting with two special cannons that he carried on his back. Few mechs carried a weapon like blitzwing's back cannons. They shot a special beam that slowed the movement of molecules and atoms.

In other words, they made temperature _drop_.

And focusing their beam at full power, Blitzwing managed to freeze Omega's left arm until its temperature reached 270 degrees below zero.

Then, it only took another missile from Thundercracker to make the armor shatter in a thousand pieces and a null-ray blast from Starscream to finally make the capacitor blow up.

Omega Supreme staggered and flailed his damaged arm at Blitzwing, who couldn't dodge it in time. His manoeuvrability while flying in mech form was lower, much less carrying another two mechs with him.

"Hold on tight!" Shouted the triple-changer. Although the blow had not hit him fully, it had been enough to sent him off-course, and the best thing he could do was slow his fall until they crash-landed on the ground. The three of them were a little beaten, but alive and not seriously damaged.

"**Nucleon-pulse generator core number one inoperative. Diverting remaining power to core number two. Target priority changed."** The powerful voice of Omega Supreme announced.

The three fallen mechs looked up in time to see the colossal mech lowering his right arm, the second weapon capacitor whining low as it charged up.

"Jou, oversized scrap-heap, come at me! I won't gou down without a fight!" Blitzwing snarled, his more violent personality taking hold of him and making Bumblebee and Barricade question his already dubious sanity.

But suddenly, they heard the loudest and most terrifying roar of their lives.

A shadow fell upon them and the ground shook violently as another cybertronian behemoth landed over them, in front of Omega, grabbing his right arm and pointing it towards the sky, where the shot got lost harmlessly. Then, the colossal creature spoke with a deep voice that sounded between words and growls.

"**Trypticon: online."**

* * *

><p>Megatron didn't even get the chance to lower his firewalls. As soon as he was connected to the ship's mainframe, Omega became aware of the invasion and turned furiously against the Decepticon Leader. Using his superior processor power, Omega literally shattered Megatron's firewalls, invading his mind, cornering his conscience and threatening to destroy his very self.<p>

**::Decepticon warlord Megatron. You have made a grave mistake coming here. And it will be your last::** Omega's voice flooded his mind.

**::That is... no longer my title...::** Megatron replied back, the mere action exhausting him as he weakly tried to encrypt more firewalls around him.

**::Titles are irrelevant. Now, perish::**

**::May I suggest that you review my data-banks before you destroy me? You may find useful information regarding the Decepticon faction. Troops location, security codes, passwords... It could help the Autobots on their way to victory::**

**::That was already my intention::**

* * *

><p>"It is... He is... Primus, it can't be!" Bumblebee stuttered, still disbelieving his own optics and audio receptors.<p>

::Blitzwing, Barricade, Bumblebee, report!:: The voice of Starscream made him snap out of his momentary trance.

::A little beaten, but fine:: Barricade quickly replied.

::Then get the hell out of under Trypticon's feet!:: The Air Commander snarled through the comm. link, making the three mechs flinch at the same time. ::Barricade, Bumblebee, take cover with the rest of the team. Blitzwing, can you still fly?::

::Yes, Sir:: Blitzwing replied, his formal, icy self taking control of him.

::Good. Because the second cannon is still a threat, so... Bring your sorry triple-changing aft up here!::

::On my way!::

Barricade and Bumblebee transformed and quickly headed for the rest of the team, as Starscream has instructed them. There wasn't anything they could do to help at that moment.

Blitzwing transformed into his jet mode and took to the sky again. He had a slightly dented wing, but that wasn't going to stop him. He had a mission to accomplish. The Air Commander had personally contacted him through his comm. link to request his assistance for this mission. And it had felt a _honor_. He wasn't going to let anybody down, even if it meant saving a couple of Autobot afts.

Ruling the battlefield were the two cybertronian colossus, already exchanging blows, the violence of their hits making the ground shake below them. While Omega had a more or less humanoid form, like most cybertronians, Trypticon looked like a huge monster, with a dinosaur-like head, armed with massive teeth, and a long tail that could destroy buildings with a single lash.

::What took you so long, Soundwave?:: Starscream asked the Communications Officer.

::Trypticon's transformation sequence: long:: Soundwave replied.

::Megatron and Optimus are still inside Omega Supreme. Be careful if you don't want to be early promoted to Second in Command. Hold still Omega's right arm. I'm going to dismantle his second cannon::

::Understood:: The blue and silver mech replied succinctly. ::Soundwave: still high ranking officer if Starscream seizes power?:: He added, and there was a very slight hint of amusement in his otherwise emotionless tone.

::Seriously, Soundwave, of all the times, you choose _now_ to find your sense of humor?:: Starscream shot at the grenades attached to Omega's right arm, making them explode. Then, he continued firing to overheat the armor below.

::Linking with Trypticon: exhausting. Processor stress: 85 per cent. Moral inhibitions: failing:: Soundwave replied, mild distress creeping into his tone.

Meanwhile, Blitzwing was shooting at his target with his freezing cannons.

::Hold on just a little longer, Soundwave. I am sure Optimus and Megatron are about to get control on the situation and stop Omega from the inside:: Starscream reassured him, but the truth was that he had lost contact with Megatron a while ago.

::Starscream: awful liar::

The beige seeker roared in laughter as he fired his last missile at Omega's cooled arm armor, shattering it and then Thundercracker fired another blast, making the capacitor blow and finally disarming the Autobot colossus from his most lethal weapons.

::You should definitely link with Trypticon more frequently::

Soundwave ignored Starscream's last taunt, and focused on his link with the Nemesis, now transformed into Trypticon. Just like Omega Supreme, Trypticon had a mind and a will of his own. But unlike Omega, he was almost feral and hardly ever attended to logic. That was the reason why, should the Decepticon behemoth be needed, there should always be someone connected with him, in order to keep his feral instincts in check, balancing his lust for destruction with self-control, transmitting calmness to soothe his raging conscience, providing strategy and targets to his attacks. In few words, guiding his reins.

But it was never an easy task.

::Processor stress: 95 per cent. Requesting Shockwave's assistance:: Soundwave informed through the comm. link, and for the first time, he sounded genuinely distressed.

* * *

><p>Shockwave was with Skywarp, Ratchet, Knock Out, Breakdown, Ironhide, Bumblebee and Barricade. Before the arrival of Trypticon, the cyclops mech and the weapons specialist had been shooting a few blasts to Omega from a relatively safe distance, but now that the colossal Decepticon had arrived, their support was no longer needed.<p>

The cyclops mech was now slightly annoyed with his situation. He had managed to do considerable damage to Omega's transformation cogs, slowing the process, but he had been shot down too soon from combat. That wouldn't have been a serious thing in a regular battle. But with the Autobot colossus as his opponent, he couldn't take the risk of remaining on the ground, where a single step of Omega could end him.

So, reluctantly, he had been forced to take cover, stopping on his way to help Skywarp to his feet. The black seeker's excess of confidence had been a grave mistake, and he had paid it with a damaged wing.

"Augh, Knock Out you are going to tear it off!"

And speaking of the black seeker, there he was. Pinned down by Breakdown as Knock Out tried to put his wing back into place.

"Stop shrieking. It's not broken. It's only out of its hinges, but I cannot put it back into place if you don't stop trashing!" The red medic yelled back.

"Didn't you shut down his pain receptors before starting to work on his wing?" Ratchet asked, out of curiosity.

"No time for that corny things on the battlefield." Knock Out replied with a shrug. "Besides, the more it hurts, the faster they learn to dodge enemy attacks, for their own sake. Isn't it, 'Warp?" A sadistic smirk crossed his face-plates as he gave a final shove at the dislocated wing, which snapped back into place with a sickening sound that made even the ground-based mechs grimace.

Skywarp let out a whimper, the pain so intense that he couldn't even cry aloud. Breakdown released him, but the seeker didn't find the strenght to pull himself up from the ground.

At that moment, the comm. link became alive with the voice of Starscream.

::Skywarp. Status.:: The Air Commanded demanded to know.

::As the humans say... like a piece of shit. I won't be flying any time soon:: The black seeker sighed miserably.

::I don't give a flying frag.:: Starscream snapped back, so harshly that made Skywarp flinch. ::Can you still teleport?::

::Yes, Sir:: Even Skywarp knew when it was the time to stop bantering around his trine-leader, who happened to be also the Decepticon Second in Command.

::Good. Because if you don't bring Shockwave to the bridge of the Nemesis like, _now_, we are going to have a totally-feral-and-out-of-control Trypticon on the loose::

"Slag!" The black seeker exclaimed, and got up with a jump. Shockwave was already at his side, because he had been listening to the comm. link too. "Hold on tight, Shockwave!"

* * *

><p>With a loud crack of displaced air and a flash of purple, Skywarp and Shockwave appeared on the main bridge of the Nemesis and took in the scene before them.<p>

Soundwave was linked to the main frame and if his slightly haunched stance, dimmed visor and servos gripping the desk were anything to go by, the Third in Command looked like he could use some help. Alpha Trion was with him, but could do little to help, because despite been a powerful mech, he didn't knew how to operate the Decepticon vessel.

Without a second thought, Shockwave strode to his terminal, and extracting his own data-transfer cables, he connected to the ship. Immediately, he felt the backlash of been connected to such powerful being. The constant data stream from his sensor net, informing in live-time about the status of fuel, ammunition, damages and mechanical stress flooded his HUD. He re-routed those reports to himself, relieving Soundwave from the most distressing task.

::Soundwave: grateful:: Came the voice of the Third in Command from somewhere on the other end of the link. Now, he could fully focus in guiding Trypticon in his battle.

Omega Supreme was badly damaged, but was still a very powerful opponent.

* * *

><p>Inside Omega's main bridge, things weren't going any better.<p>

Optimus was sitting on the floor holding tight to two things. The first one, to a column, so that he didn't roll with the violent movements. After all, the colossal mech was still fighting out there. The Autobot Leader could only hope that no one had been severely harmed in the fight. The second one he was holding to, was Megatron. He had fallen unconscious almost immediately after connecting with Omega's main frame, and he feared the worst.

"Come on, Megatron. You were never the one to do crazy, irresponsible things. Your plans were always meticulously devised." Optimus whispered. "I know you don't trust things to chance, brother."

* * *

><p>Trapped within his own body, Megatron felt with painful clarity Omega's invasion. How the huge mech's essence invaded his mind, forcing open his data-banks, retrieving audio and video files. And the Decepticon Leader could do nothing to stop him, because his enemy's processor's were far more powerful. Omega didn't even bother in shielding his own emotions, and Megatron could also feel his raw, unmasked hate for the Decepticon faction and his Leader.<p>

But Megatron wasn't going to sit down and watch idly while his mind was forced open and scrutinized from beginning to end.

**::You want to know my secrets, Omega?::** Megatron snarled, taunting the invader in his mind. **::**_**Take them!**_** Taken them all, because I am honestly **_**tired**_** of holding them inside!::**

And instead of letting Omega extract the data files himself, Megatron started to voluntarily send him the files. The difference was that on this last case, Megatron could at least _choose _which files he wanted to send first.

* * *

><p>Outside, Trypticon and Omega Supreme were still fighting, exchanging devastating blows, making the ground tremble with each hit.<p>

Spinning around himself, the Decepticon behemoth lashed out at his enemy with his tail, effectively sending the Autobot to the ground.

Omega Supreme dragged himself up to a standing position, took a step in Trypticon's direction, and suddenly stopped.

And just stood there, frozen. Not moving. Not advancing. Not recoiling.

Trypticon snarled furiously, his mighty roar making the ground shake, and crouched, poised for the next attack. But he felt the soothing pulses from Soundwave and Shockwave, persuading him to remain calm, to wait for Omega's attack, to defend himself but not make the first move.

The Decepticon behemoth reduced his roars to a deep, low growl, and waited.

And the Autobot just remained on his spot, apparently doing nothing.

* * *

><p>"The have stopped fighting." Ironhide murmured, still disbelieving his optics.<p>

Starscream, now reunited with the rest of the team on the ground, stared intently at the two unmoving colossus, his optics narrowing.

* * *

><p>Omega stopped suddenly, confused and slightly startled by the Decepticon Leader's actions. Surely it had to be some kind of trick. Maybe he had some pernicious code embedded in the data files he was sending him.<p>

Nonsense, very few things could harm him that way, and certainly not something created by the mech he was connected to. With a mental shrug, he continued reviewing the files. They were useful information, nonetheless.

But what he saw after a while left him shocked. Shocked and confused.

Now more intrigued, he continued to analyze the files. And the things he discovered...

Megatron had been speaking the truth. He had a ceasefire with Optimus. But there were even more important things in his mind. The Covenant of Primus. The things they had discovered on it. Alpha Trion. The great menace that hanged over them. The last visit to Earth, where the Decepticons had been trying their best to behave. Megatron planning strategies with Optimus.

Omega stopped his crushing grip on the Decepticon Leader's mind, allowing him a small relief. 'If this is true...', he thought, leaving the end of the sentence hanging in the air. He had to find out, as displeasing as it could be.

Megatron's relief was short lived, because Omega's mind came back, this time peering into the decepticon's most intimate files. The ones belonging to emotions and feelings. And his astonishment only grew even more when he experienced what his enemy had inside his mind.

Painful amounts of pain and regrets.

It seemed impossible, but it was the truth. Megatron was full of _remorse_. Not that he would ever admit it in his life, of course not. But that was what was inside of him. Megatron knew that he was too far beyond forgiveness. The things he had done while under the influence of The Fallen had been atrocious. There was nothing he could do to fix any of them. He honestly thought that he should have died for them.

But death didn't solve anything either.

So, the Decepticon Leader had arrived to a conclusion, and with it, to a single purpose.

He was determined to make things better from that point. And he had been honestly trying to do it. Little by little, during the past few years, he had been working to save his planet and to give his faction a new way of life. He knew that diplomatic relations with the Autobots would always be awkward, but he had been keeping the hostilities to a minimum, working for the greater good.

If he couldn't achieve forgiveness, he was determined to gain redemption.

And all of this, Omega knew, was _true_. Because when connected to someone in that way, one could not hide the truth.

The Decepticon warlord - no, the Lord High Protector, he corrected himself - had truly changed his ways.

As gently as he could, Omega's conscience recoiled from Megatron's mind. He had reached a decision.

**::You have a second chance::** Was his verdict. **::Do **_**not**_** waste it::**

Megatron groaned slightly as he regained control of his own mind and body.

**::I won't::** He replied, still a little weak from the assault, but with infinite determination. **::And do not speak of what you have seen inside me... Please::** He added, and he didn't need to specify what he was referring to.

**::You have my word, Lord High Protector::** He replied, before disappearing from his mind. The Decepticon Leader allowed himself a mental smirk.

* * *

><p>Megatron's crimson optics flickered on-line and was greeted with the sight of Optimus crouched over him, concern written all over his face-plates.<p>

"Whasgoinon." He mumbled, a little incoherently, hating to be lying on the floor. It was undignified for him. His systems finished their reboot and the memory of the last events caught up with him. "What happened!" He demanded to know, almost jumping to his feet, startling Optimus.

"Omega has stopped. And I guess it was _you_ who convinced him." The Autobot Leader informed him, raising an optic ridge. "And I guess it is futile to ask how, isn't it?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know." The Decepticon replied, his voice sounding genuinely tired as he staggered slightly.

::Megatron! What happened?:: The voice of Starscream interrupted through the comm. link, making his Leader almost wince.

::We are fine here. And the rest of the team?::

::Minor damage. But we are fine too:: The seeker reported back.

::Excellent. We are heading out once we recover the Key::

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the faction leaders were stepping out of Omega, with their mission finally accomplished.<p>

"Primus above!" Optimus exclaimed, as he caught sight of the Decepticon Behemoth, crouched and waiting, his gaze still fixated on Omega, but not moving. "This was your plan B?" He asked to Megatron.

"How else did you expect me to stop Omega?" Megatron shrugged as he took in the devastation around him, the cybertronian colossus' battleground. A couple of shots from Omega's nucleon-pulse cannons had reached the city ruins, leaving long gashes across the buildings.

"You had us very worried." Ratchet said, approaching his Leader and scanning him for damage. "It has been one hell of a battle out here."

"Inside Omega things weren't nice either." Optimus agreed. "And how is Eleonor?" He asked, not seen her anywhere.

"I left her hidden in the ruins before things got tricky." Starscream replied.

"Woohooo, zhe zmall nurse? Vhere is she?" Blitzwing replied, bouncing enthusiastically, his random personality taking hold of him.

"About five microquads in that..." He turned to face the location where he had left his human and trailed off. "...direction." His vents hitched.

That was precisely the path where one of Omega's missed shots had left a trail of devastation and scorched ruins.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** At least some real action after so much fluff! How did it go? I have left some ideas unused, but I think it turned out quite well. And yay, cliffhanger! And a cookie for Nightshade-Prime who guessed what plan B was. And half cookie for Megan666. On a second thought, who cares? Cookies for everyone who reviewed!


	22. Rescue

Chapter 22: Rescue

Starscream flew as fast as his thrusters could carry him, his spark twisted with worry. The pendant he had given to Eleonor still functioned, transmitting some of her vital signs. Her heart rate was higher than usual.

'She's scared, but alive.' He thought, permitting himself a little moment of relief. 'How very stupid of me, to think that I could keep her safe.' He reprimanded himself, angry, as he pushed his engines even further. All this time trying to protect her, and the only thing he had succeeded at had been putting her in harm's way.

Soon, he arrived to the old barracks. Or what was left of them. Omega's shot had obliterated half of the building, and what remained of it had collapsed under the weigh of the roof. The place was totally destroyed and brought down to rubble. It seemed impossible that something could had survived the collapse. But then again, Eleonor was very small. With some luck she could have survived under a conveniently placed piece of debris.

Starscream checked again the signal coming from Eleonor's pendant. And to his horror, it was indeed coming from the remains of the building.

"Eleonor!" He called, and waited.

Nothing.

"Eleonor!" He called again, failing to keep the desperation from edging his voice. But still, nothing.

Coming to the conclusion that she couldn't even heard him, Starscream started to cautiously move pieces of debris aside. As much as he wanted to rescue her, he couldn't risk to cause another collapse and worsening the situation.

Suddenly, the unmistakable cracking of displaced air broke the silence of the derelict city, and Thundercracker and Skywarp appeared in a flash of purple.

"Starscream." Thundercracker murmured, approaching his trine-leader. The beige seeker grunted in response. "Did you... find her?" He asked softly, his voice edged with worry.

"She's alive. But trapped under the rubble." Starscream replied, trying very hard to keep a neutral tone.

"We'll rescue her, don't worry, Star." Skywarp said, all the joy drained from his usually cheerful voice. "The rest are been tended by Ratchet and Knock Out or helping with Omega and Trypticon, but Megatron relieved us from duty until we find her." Skywarp informed, and Starscream acknowledged with an absent nod.

"Be careful when you move the boulders. I know she's here but I can't pinpoint the exact spot." He warned, as he continued removing pieces of debris.

* * *

><p>The two cybertronian giants were transforming back into their space-ship modes while the rest of the team recovered from the battle. Optimus and Megatron were a little apart, supervising everything and quietly reviewing the battle reports of what had happened while they had been inside Omega Supreme.<p>

Megatron was quite pleased with how everything had been handled. Everyone of his soldiers had done a great job in their combined efforts to neutralize the threat that Omega had posed. And he was specially pleased with Starscream, who's quick thinking and knowledge in physics and materials had been essential in their strategy to break through Omega's armor.

He glanced briefly at the triple changer, who was trying to keep his distance from the rest of the Autobots. Blitzwing had never been an easy mech. His personality issues had made him unreliable at many tasks. But today, he had proven to be capable of focus, and his freezing cannons had been the key to win that fight.

Blitzwing was avoided by most mechs because of his erratic behaviour, unstable mind and unpredictable mood changes. But when assigned a task which all his personalities agreed to do, he turned to be a reliable soldier. Starscream had discovered this, and had planned his strategy accordingly.

He would have to congratulate his Second in Command later for that, Megatron thought, mentally smirking, thinking about the irony of the situation. Megatron had never been one to praise his soldiers, that was Optimus' forte. But even he had to admit that a nice word once a while did wonders. And issuing them privately or through the comm. link didn't compromise his reputation.

Megatron cycled air slowly through his vents. Thinking about Starscream had reminded him of his little human pet. Not that he would ever admit caring about anyone, much less an inferior organic being. But the little pest had proven to be quite useful, and he was somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of her dying too soon.

"Any words from Starscream?" Optimus asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"They have found her. She is alright, but she seems to be under a collapsed building." Megatron replied, his tone neutral.

"Do they need help?"

"If he needed help Starscream would have requested it by now." Megatron said dismissively. "They are doing everything carefully, to avoid further damages to the collapsed structure."

"I am sure everything will be fine. Starscream can be very... _tenacious_." Optimus said, trying to keep the conversation from drifting into dark places. He had faith in Starscream, and he was sure that the seeker would rescue the woman.

"You have _no idea_." Megatron nodded, with an amused smirk.

The Autobot Leader was in silence for some minutes before speaking again.

"So, how does a little human survive among fearsome Decepticons?" Optimus asked, genuinely curious.

Megatron lifted his gaze from the data-pad he was reviewing, and looked at some distant point in the horizon, frowning slightly and thinking about how to put it without damaging his reputation too much.

"I mostly ignore her. She is Starscream's pet, not mine." The Decepticon Leader replied with a shrug. "She is very quiet, well behaved, doesn't speak unless given permission... In short, all the opposite of your human pets. So, as long as she is not a nuisance, I don't mind keeping her around."

Optimus frowned slightly at the usage of the word 'pet', but he dismissed it. He was speaking with Megatron, after all. And most importantly, Eleonor seemed genuinely happy when she was around them.

"I can see your point." The blue and red mech nodded. "Humans come in a great variety of personalities. They are very different from one another. You would be quite surprised if you gave them a chance." He added, thinking about Sam and the brave N.E.S.T. soldiers. Particularly, Sam, who had been barely an adult when he had met him, had even risked his life to save Optimus. Twice.

"No, thank you. I have already met enough humans to learn that." Megatron huffed. "And thankfully, unlike your humans, this one doesn't have murderous instincts."

Optimus smiled positively at that comment. Sure thing Eleonor was no soldier, but she had other ways to keep herself safe.

"Has she made herself useful around here?" The Autobot Leader wanted to know.

"Surprisingly, yes. Starscream and her spend a lot of time 'playing science' at the lab and they have this odd tendency of making interesting discoveries." Megatron admitted, with a hint of amusement in his deep voice. "So, yes, she can be unexpectedly useful. And I am not one to disregard things that can be of use to me." He smirked evilly.

"I see." Optimus gave a small smile.

* * *

><p>Everything had happened so fast. One moment, she was there, standing alone against one of the walls of the deserted barracks. And the next moment, a bright flash of light had obliterated half building, accompanied by a deafening boom. The rest of the structure had quickly started to collapse, and she had made a dash to take cover under an abandoned cybertronian-sized desk. Had it not been for that resistant piece of furniture, she was sure that she would be a small human pancake by now.<p>

Eleonor hugged her legs closer. She was in the most absolute darkness, surrounded by tons of metal and rock debris. She had been trying to calm herself down. Of course it had been a terrifying experience, but she was alright. In one piece. Unharmed. The only thing that she had lost had been her smartphone. It had fallen to the floor in her sudden dash to take cover, and she honestly doubted that it could had survived the accident.

She sighed softly and readjusted the tubes connected to the oxygen cylinders that she carried in her backpack. Loosing her phone had been bad for several reasons. Firstly, it would have lighted the oppressive darkness that surrounded her right now. Secondly, she could have used it to contact Starscream. And last, but not least, it would have helped her to control the time she had left until changing the oxygen cylinders.

She thought briefly about changing them at that moment, but quickly dismissed the idea. It was too risky to do it without any source of light. Something could go horribly wrong. Anyway, sitting on the floor, and unmoving, she didn't need so much oxygen. So, she just reached to her backpack and blindly closed the valve slightly, hoping that it would prolong the duration of the oxygen a little, hopefully, just enough for someone to rescue her.

Because they were going to rescue her. She was sure of that. She unconsciously grasped the pendant that Starscream had given to her. He had told her that it was also a small tracker, so that she would never get lost.

'I am sure that Starscream is looking for me right now.' She though with optimism. But almost immediately, the fresh memory of the blast that had obliterated half building filled her mind, vividly. What if someone had been hit by that terrible weapon? It had vaporized half building. It surely could do the same with a mech.

'What if...?' She left the end of the sentence hanging in the air. No. Just _no_. It couldn't be. Starscream had looked at her with that disarming smirk of his, looking so confident and full of himself as always, and had promised to come back for her. He had promised to take care of her.

'Take care of me...' She repeated the promise in her mind, and she felt her heart shrinking and a lump starting to form in her throat. 'I need to be constantly watched over. I am not helpful at all. I am a weak point. I am nothing but a nuisance.' And she couldn't stop the tears that had been pooling in her eyes to run down her cheeks. 'I am so pathetic and weak.' She openly broke in disconsolate sobs. She had been trying very hard, but she was no longer able to keep her emotions in check, all her worries and the gravity of the situation suddenly downing on her.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear that?" Skywarp said suddenly, stopping his work.<p>

Starscream and Thundercracker also stopped and listened, cunning their audio receptors.

"It comes from here!" Starscream whispered, crouching over a pile of rubble, tilting his helm, trying to triangulate the origin of the sound.

Without further commands, the other two seekers were immediately by his side, helping to move the heavy boulders. It took a while, but finally, they unearthed a broken desk, and under it...

"Eleonor!" Starscream exclaimed, taking in the pitiful state of his human.

Eleonor looked up blearily, her eyes adjusting gradually to the sudden daylight. She quickly wiped away the tears running down her cheeks, but they had left an unmistakable trail across her face mixed with dust. She was all covered in dust, but in one piece.

"H-hello a-again." She stuttered as she stood and shakily came out from his hiding spot. She sniffed briefly and looked up to the three seekers who were looking at her with unmasked concern written all over their features. She tried to grin, but it only came out as a small, sad half smile. "I'm f-fine, don't worry about me." She tried to soothe them. "What happened with Omega Supreme?"

Starscream was fighting very hard the urge to just pick her up and cradle her against his chassis.

"Everything came out just fine, and everyone is in one piece. We'll brief you later." Thundercracker said, calmly, his tone reassuring. Neither him, nor his brothers were blind, and Eleonor was clearly trying to remain calm, but her eyes and her stiffness told a different story. She was still in shock and scared to death.

"I am very glad to hear that." She sighed softly in relief.

"Yeah, complete, with pics and videos of me kicking afts in the sky. You are going to love it!" Skywarp added, trying to cheer her up.

"I am looking forward to watch them." She managed to give a small smile.

"Thundercracker, Skywarp, why don't you come back with the rest of the team and tell them that everything is alright?" Starscream suggested, but it was actually an order. "I'll be back with Eleonor shortly."

The two seekers nodded, and Skywarp held Thundercracker closely, and with the unmistakable crack of displaced air and a flash of purple light, they were gone in a second.

Now alone, Starscream crouched and looked intently at his human. Her face was an undecipherable mix of emotions.

"Are you sure you are alright?" The seeker asked, slowly lowering a servo for her.

"Yes. I am just a little shocked. That's all. Please don't worry about me." She replied, trying to remain calm.

But her unsteady movements, her shaky hands and trembling voice, told otherwise. And Starscream didn't miss how she had climbed into his servo. She had done it as if his servo was the last escape pod in a wrecked vessel.

"I lost my phone." She sighed, trying to think about less important things, while she shakily changed the tubes from one oxygen cylinder to a new one. "I can't track the time I have left until I need to change the cylinders." She explained.

"I'll track it for you. Do not worry." Starscream replied calmly, as he studied her. She was sitting on his palm, holding to one thumb with more force than necessary. And she was still shaking a slightly.

"Shouldn't we... go back with the rest?"

"Not until you are fine."

"I am fine." She insisted, trying to summon a reassuring smile.

"No, you are not." Starscream lifted her to optic level and gave her a hard stare. Eleonor tried to speak again, but the seeker interrupted her. "I have spent enough time with you to know when you hold things inside." He locked his gaze into hers.

Eleonor stuttered, and tried to push back his worries again.

"Really, Starscream. I am just a little shocked but I will be fine in-"

"Stop." The seeker cut her again, his voice slightly harsh. "Stop pretending to be so strong. I know what you are doing. I know that you keep many things inside because you don't want to be a nuisance. I can see it in your eyes." Eleonor's resolve began to shatter under his scrutinizing glare. He always knew when she tried to hide the truth. "But I assure you, you are anything but a burden. So please, stop acting."

"I-I..." She tried to speak, a lump forming in her throat, her confidence wavering. "...I was scared. I was scared to death..." She confessed, holding even tighter to Starscream's thumb and wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall. "That explosion blew away half building... and I was very far from the combat. I couldn't stop thinking what would have happened if one of you had been hit by it too. And then the collapse, with no way of knowing if you were alright, trapped under tons of rocks..." Her breathing hitched, her resolve finally crumbling like a house of cards. "Starscream... I was so scared..." She admitted, tears marring again her face.

"Shh..." He hushed her. "Everything is alright now." He said soothingly, bringing her closer to his chassis, protectively wrapping his free servo over her.

"I am so sorry... I want to be helpful but I only give you worries. I am _weak_ and useless." She whispered, leaning against his warm chest-plates.

"Don't speak nonsense." He reprimanded in a soft tone. "You are very helpful with other matters. But I know that _war_ is not your area of expertise, and I didn't expect you to do anything in this kind of situation." He slowly vented a sight. "In any case, it is _me_ who must be sorry. I promised that I would take care of you, and I have nearly failed today..." He confessed, feeling suddenly very guilty.

"You did what you had to. I would had done the same in your place. That shot... no one could have seen it coming." She said, reassuringly. "And hey, we are all in one piece after all." She added, trying to cheer up. "Well, except my phone." She smiled weakly.

"Fortunately, that is replaceable." Starscream replied, a smirk in his tone. "And Eleonor..."

"Yes?"

"You may be soft, but you are not _weak_." The seeker said, touching her face very gently with the back of a claw. "And I am not asking of you things that are beyond your capabilities, so, stop worrying about it." The seeker said, back to seriousness.

"Yes, Sir." She nodded, equally formal.

"Now, let's go back with the others." He concluded, placing her back on the ground and dropping into his alt-mode.

Eleonor climbed and made herself comfortable in the pilot's seat, the seat-belt wrapping reassuringly around her. It was odd, but to be inside Starscream's cabin always felt soothing. It made her feel protected and safe. Shielded from the rest of the world.

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh of relief, her hands caressing the straps of the seat-belt. Now that she had unburdened herself to Starscream, she felt better.

"Thank you for coming back for me." She said, barely above a whisper.

Starscream's engines came to life, and soon they were soaring high above the ruins. This time, the seeker indulged himself in the rare luxury of flying slowly, tracing lazy curves in his route. There was no rush to come back.

He focused in Eleonor's small weigh and warmth in his seat, feeling her steady heartbeat and breath. And he felt a strong desire protectiveness cursing through his circuits.

"I am not leaving you alone again. I promise."

* * *

><p>Soundwave expelled a gust of hot air through his vents, trying to cool down his processors. Compelling Trypticon to change back to vessel mode, putting again the firewalls in place, and encrypting the routes and activation codes was also a tedious task. Fortunately, Shockwave had helped a lot, and all the procedures had been done in record time.<p>

A while later, Soundwave and Shockwave came outside. Ratchet was running some diagnosis to Omega Supreme, assessing the damages and the ship's condition.

"You two, rest." Megatron ordered, as soon as his Third in Command and his Lieutenant approached him.

Soundwave was not going to complain about that. He was exhausted. Laserbeak, who had been patrolling over the area, came down and landed in his favourite spot, between his master's neck cables and shoulder armor.

"So, what will be our next move, Lord Megatron?" Shockwave asked, back to business.

"Vector Sigma." Megatron replied, in few words.

The cyclops mech was in silence for some seconds, recalling all he knew about that place. Vector Sigma was some kind of super-computer, or a special interface mechanism. It was said that it was a link between the cybertronian race and Cybertron itself. A connection to the Core of their planet, where knowledge and power were stored safely since the dawn of cybertronian civilization.

Its true purpose, however, had not ever been discovered.

"And how are we going to go there?" Shockwave wanted to know. Vector Sigma was far below the Cybertron's surface. Cities, empires, wars and ruins had followed one another above it during millennia. And the original entrance to the place had been lost in time.

"I can help with that." Alpha Trion intervened, looking glad to be helpful at least in one thing. "I may not be a fighter, but I know this planet as my own servos."

"Good. Relay the coordinates to Shockwave." Megatron nodded. "Soundwave, give me a status report of the Nemesis."

"Nemesis' transformation sequence: complete. Damage report: minor structural damage. Repair drones: deployed. Energon level: 23.6 per cent."

Megatron hummed, deep in thought, and turned to address Optimus.

"How's Omega Supreme?" He asked to the Autobot Leader.

"In bad shape. The hull's integrity has been gravely compromised. Extensive damage, transformation sequence is not perfect, and he's too low on energon to initiate auto-repairs." Optimus summarized, reading a datapad with the damage reports.

The Decepticon Leader tapped his chin-plates, frowning slightly, thinking about their next move.

Starscream chose that moment to arrive, landing smoothly on the ground, and permitting Eleonor to climb down before transforming back to mech form, standing proudly and flaring his wings behind his back.

"I go out for a while and when I come back everything is in ruins. Tsk, tsk." The beige seeker said, gesturing to the destruction caused by the battle between the two cybertronian colossus. The young woman stood behind him, looking at him with wild disbelief.

"Remind me again why I keep you as my Second in Command." Megatron growled, but he sounded amused deep inside. Starscream's irony and taunts were almost welcomed after the intense battle.

"Because of my quick-thinking, my vast knowledge in material-physics and my unequalled skill at coordinating Autobots and Decepticons at the same time." Starscream bowed graciously, with his trademark smirk adorning his face-plates.

"Good, you have also saved me the embarrassing task of complimenting your job." Megatron replied, with a mischievous smirk of his own.

Starscream stuttered for a second, his smirk fading. Was Megatron really going to compliment him?

"I should have added that I also was a pretty _good looking_ mech to the list of merits." The seeker almost purred, finally regaining his smirk, and making his Leader frown.

"Stop preening." Megatron huffed finally. But he wasn't really angry. Certainly, that day nothing had gone according to the plan, but no one had resulted badly injured, and even the human had managed to survive. "And come here. We have plans to discuss."

The seeker nodded, back to formal mood, his smirk lessening but not disappearing.

"Our next stop is Vector Sigma." Megatron continued. "The Librarian can guide us."

"Vector Sigma is located deep under Cybertron's surface. There were several paths to travel down there, but they have been lost during millennia of civilizations and conflicts." The old Prime explained, his gentle voice heavy with memories from another time. "But there is still an old path we can use. The entrance is located at the Sonic Canyons. We can use a ship to go there, but the rest of the route is too narrow, and we will have to continue on foot from there."

"That part is solved then. The Nemesis is a little damaged and low on energon, but it is more than enough to go there. My other concern is Omega Supreme." Megatron said, glancing at the Autobot ship.

"I'm afraid we can't move him. The damages are too extensive." Optimus sighed, mild concern in his tone. He could be the biggest and strongest Autobot alive, but now, Omega was in serious need of repairs and energon.

"And it's not like we can bring the Constructicons and leave them here working on Omega, unsupervised, while we go to Vector Sigma." Shockwave remarked. "No offense, I wouldn't trust the Nemesis to the Autobots either." He added, glancing back to Optimus.

"None taken." The Autobot Leader replied, cordially.

"What about bringing a group of repair-drones..." Starscream intervened and looking upon the Autobot ship, he paused to correct himself. "...a _really big_ group of repair-drones and we leave them here, working on Omega's repairs while we go to Vector Sigma?"

Megatron nodded, deep in thought.

"That's the safest thing to do. I have cancelled the routine air patrols over Kalis and no one should discover Omega here." Shockwave agreed too. "Regardless, it would be better if we leave someone here to watch over the repairs and the ship."

"Good." The Decepticon Leader clasped his servos together, coming to a conclusion. "We will rest here for a joor. Soundwave, you will go back to Kaon and bring a maintenance ship with repair-drones and energon. You will be the one to stay here to guard the ships."

"Acknowledged." The Third in Command replied, and he was honestly glad. He could use that simple task as a rest.

"You may go now. The rest of you, you are dismissed. Take time to recover or repair yourselves if you are in need." Megatron concluded.

* * *

><p>Starscream made his way towards the rest of the team, who were been tended by Ratchet and Knock Out. They had taken a little damage in the battle, but nothing serious. Eleonor walked beside him, happy to see everyone again.<p>

"Hi Ele!" The always cheerful Frenzy piped in, and Eleonor barely had enough time turn to the direction of the voice when the small Decepticon pounced over her. The young woman caught him in the air, but stumbled on the uneven gravel ground and fell on her ass.

"Ouch!"

Starscream chuckled in amusement and went to check on his trine-mates.

"Even the smallest mech around manages to tackle you down." The tiny mech teased, getting comfortable in her lap. Eleonor sighed aggravated, but she was inwardly grateful. Things were still the same after the difficult day. "Hey, you are a mess." Frenzy pointed out, realizing that she was all covered in dust. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, nothing important compared to what was happening here. Don't worry." She replied, giving no importance to the fact that she had nearly died. And she honestly didn't want to think about it any longer.

"Come on. I want to hear your part of the story!" Frenzy insisted, and turned to look at the young woman. She glanced away for a brief moment, her mind wandering to dark places. He frowned slightly. "You have been crying..." He realized, not missing the slight redness of her cheeks. Eleonor sighed and her expression saddened.

"It's nothing, really." She said softly. "I was just... very worried about all of you." She unconsciously pulled the small mech into a hug. Frenzy didn't complain, staring at her worried expression. "And then one of Omega's missed shots brought down a building on me. Fortunately, I was able to take cover under a table or something like that. I was trapped for a while until Starscream and his brothers rescued me." She said barely above a whisper. "I was so scared..."

"Hey, hey, don't worry. You are fine, we are fine and everything is alright." Frenzy reassured her, a little awkwardly, not used to see Eleonor upset. But he genuinely liked that human, so he tried his best to cheer her up. "Hey, Ratchet and Knock Out are fixing some injuries. I've heard you have a basic training in cybertronian first aid. Maybe you can watch and learn more?" He suggested, knowing that Eleonor enjoyed learning new things.

"That would be nice." She smiled, pushing back her worries.

* * *

><p>Ratchet was realigning the joints in Bumblebee's arm. After bearing the weight of both him and Barricade, it needed some readjustment. Knock Out was working on Blitzwing's damaged wing. Omega had physically hit him, and the metal had been dent and shattered partially in the zone of impact.<p>

"Woohoo! Zhe little nurse!" The triple-changer exclaimed upon seen her, his random personality reigning him at that moment.

"Hello, Blitzwing." Eleonor waved friendly as she arrived, Frenzy sitting on her shoulders.

"I didn't know you liked humans." Knock Out chuckled from behind the big beige and purple mech.

"Of course not! Zhey are disgusting little creatures. But I find zhis one particularly funny to vatch, ha, ha, ha!"

"Stop moving! I'm still working here, you know?" The red medic warned, deliberately pinching one of Blitzwing's exposed wires. The triple-changer sobered and his face-plates shifted into his formal, blue-faced self.

"So..." Eleonor continued, taking a seat on a boulder, not too far from the beige and purple mech. "...I've heard that you put up quite a good fight here with Omega. I was hoping that you could relate me how it went." She asked, knowing that Blitzwing was not very friendly, but she could, at least, try to melt the ice between them.

"Jou want me to tell jou how zhe battle went?" He was honestly fazed by the fragile human. Not even other fellow Decepticons wanted to spend time with him if it could be avoided.

"If it doesn't bother you." She smiled.

* * *

><p>It was a while later when Starscream arrived at the medic's domain, and the scene before his optics left him speechless.<p>

Blitzwing was sitting, chatting animatedly with Eleonor, relating her his heroic deeds with colorful details. Eleonor, for her part, was sitting on top of one of the triple-changer's thigh-plates. Under Knock Out's instructions, she was carefully extracting some pieces of shattered armor from the leg joints. Every now and then she intervened to ask more questions about the battle or about the repair.

"So, learning more about cybertronian first-aid, aren't you?" Starscream said, approaching with a smirk on his face-plates. Eleonor glanced up from his work. She had been so engrossed with the repairs that she hadn't noticed the seeker arriving.

"You know I like to help." She smiled sheepishly. "And Blitzwing and Knock Out had been very kind teaching me."

"I still disapprove of your over-careful methods. It's patently obvious that Ratchet had been teaching you before." Knock Out pointed out.

"Vut unlike jou, vhen she works eet doesn't hurt zhe least." Blitzwing said in her defense.

"And where would be the fun in that?" Knock Out smirked evilly.

Starscream smiled inwardly. His pet had a talent gaining the trust of potentially dangerous mechs.

"Well, I don't see anymore pieces of broken armor around here." Eleonor intervened, still focused in her task. The red medic extracted a tool and scanned Blitzwing's joints with it.

"Uh, there is nothing out of place. Good job." He helped the woman to climb down of the triple-changer and he put the armor plates back in place.

"Blitzwing." Starscream said suddenly, calling the beige and purple mech, who immediately stood attention. "Soundwave is staying here to watch over the repairs of Omega Supreme. I want you to stay here too and patrol the area. Discourage anyone who comes too close. I don't want that ship discovered by any... _resentful_ member of our faction."

"Understood." Blitzwing nodded.

Starscream crouched and offered a servo to Eleonor, lifting her.

"And, Blitzwing..." He addressed him once more before turning to leave. "...You have done a good job today." He added.

The triple-changer's optics brightened and his wings flared proudly.

"Zhanks Sir." He replied, honestly.

"Aww... Everyone gets a pat in the back today except me." Knock Out pouted theatrically, crossing his arms over his chest-plates.

"Hmm... that reminds me... Lord Megatron is still in need of repairs. His left shoulder was sparking every now and then when I was talking to him." Starscream said, tapping his chin-plates thoughtfully. "The old fool is probably too engrossed with other concerns to notice his own injuries. Why don't you go and fix him up before he shorts out?" He suggested. "I am sure he would gladly give you a pat in the back after that." He added with a smirk.

Knock Out flinched slightly and grimaced at the mere thought, but then his expression brightened as an idea occurred to him.

"Hey, Eleonor. Do you want to learn a few more things about cybertronian first-aid?" He asked with a cocky grin.

Eleonor almost chocked in surprise.

"I-I am not sure if he would like the idea." She stuttered, struggling to find the politest way to decline the suggestion. She had a deep respect for the Decepticon Leader, but she was also aware that his appreciation for human kind was minimum.

Knock Out was in silence for exactly two seconds before he couldn't hold it any longer and burst in laughter.

"Skywarp was right. You do the cutest faces when you are scared, I swear!" He continued giggling as he made his way towards his next patient.

"I must agree with zhat too, ha, ha!" Blitzwing added, his random personality reigning him again as he transformed and took to the sky with a burst from his thrusters. His laughter could still be heard, fading in the distance, as he soared high.

Eleonor turned slowly to look at Starscream and pouted.

"What did you expect?" The beige seeker shrugged, and failed to hide a smirk. "We are Decepticons, after all."

* * *

><p>Eleonor was staring out one of the windows of the Nemesis as the ship gained altitude and set course for the Sonic Canyons, where the Librarian had said that the entrance for Vector Sigma was located. She watched the other huge spaceship that was Omega Supreme, resting on the ground while the numerous group of repair-drones attended to his injuries and replenished his energon tanks. Soundwave was close, keeping watch. His symbionts were helping, Laserbeak patrolling the skies, and Frenzy and Ravage the perimeter.<p>

She knew cybertronians were very big beings. But that one, was just... _colossal_.

"It's called _the Ark_."

A voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned and saw Starscream standing next to her.

"Who?"

"Omega Supreme. When he is in space-ship mode. That vessel is called the Ark." The seeker explained. "Just like this one is called the Nemesis, when it actually is Trypticon, the biggest Decepticon alive."

The woman stared in wild disbelief at the beige mech.

"You can't be serious..." She said slowly. "Are you telling me that this whole time..." She looked around her and lowered her voice to a whisper, as if afraid that the walls could heard her. "...I have been inside a living being?"

"Yes, but he is kept dormant. His conscience is too wild, and can't be safely given free will." Starscream explained, and projected an hologram with the forms of Omega Supreme and the Ark, as well as Trypticon and the Nemesis.

"Amazing." Eleonor exclaimed, with wide eyes.

They were in silence for a while, looking out of the window, watching the ruined cities been replaced by deserted badlands.

"I thought that the whole surface of Cybertron was covered by cities. But I see now that it also has wild areas." She murmured.

An idea crossed the seeker's processors.

"Follow me." He ordered, and turned to walk out of the room. Eleonor followed obediently.

* * *

><p>Starscream stopped at one of the lower deck's cargo bays, and before Eleonor could ask, the entrance gate at the end of the room opened. The wind rushed in, and the woman had to hold the seeker's calf for balance.<p>

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" She asked.

"I've already asked Megatron. He is not happy about it, but he is used to my little fligh-run outs. After all, I am a seeker, and I need to fly." He gave a sly grin. "Besides, I am a lot faster than the Nemesis. We won't be delaying anyone. Come on."

And with a swift and fluid motion, he transformed into his F-22 alt mode. Eleonor climbed to his cabin. The jet let himself slide down the open ramp of the hatch, gliding silently through the air before igniting his thrusters, making Eleonor gasp in surprise.

The seeker rounded the huge Decepticon warship, stopping briefly just in front of the main bridge's windows. They could clearly see Megatron staring at his Second in Command with a disapproving scowl, and Optimus trying to hide his amusement, shaking his helm.

Starscream barreled playfully and with a burst of his thrusters, he distanced himself from the bigger ship, on the same curse, but at a faster speed.

"I still think that this is unwise. Lord Megatron didn't seem to be very happy with you." Eleonor said, trying to beat some sense into the jet.

"You won't be saying that after our brief excursion." Starscream replied enigmatically.

"Where are we going?" She asked, spurred by her curiosity.

"We are following the same route as the Nemesis. But as I am faster, we can make little stops on our way. I want to show you some of the wild, uncivilized areas of Cybertron."

"Oh! I would love that!" She beamed and straightened a little, so that she could glance easier through the cabin.

Starscream descended, and soon they were flying over the desert Badlands. The place was mainly dominated by dark jagged rocks with grey metal ore embedded in them. The cold, dark, pointy surface contrasted beautifully with the warm color gradient of the cybertronian sky, that gleamed cloudless in orange and red. That, and the feeling of vastness and solitude of the deserted area, made the Badlands a beautiful place, despite been uninhabitable.

A while later, the landscape started to change again. They arrived to a basin where the grey ground ended in an immense expanse of reddish-brown material, which surface seemed to be in constant movement, with fumes of gasses erupting from it.

"What is that?"

"That is the Rust Sea." Said the seeker, taking a detour in his route. "It is an area of unstable planetary matter and molecular flux. It constantly emits corrosive gasses." He explained.

"Are they harmful to you?" Eleonor asked in concern. She didn't want the seeker to suffer any damage.

"The gasses? Yes. But they are very slow to act. I would have to live near the shore for some months before suffering considerable damage. Besides, I am flying against the predominant winds, so, don't worry." He explained. "I'm not taking a bath, though." He added, with a small chuckle. "Look down now."

Eleonor looked through the cabin as Starscream lost speed and altitude, gliding over the coast line of the Rust Sea.

"That is so beautiful!" Eleonor exclaimed.

Along the shores, there were crystalline growths that gleamed softly in shades of blueish-white. The average length and thickness of the crystals were those of a big tree. It looked almost like a crystal forest. It gave the impression of been in a huge, endless, sky-open geode.

"That must be the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my whole life." Eleonor said in awe, not finding better words to describe it.

Starscream smirked inwardly, enjoying the wild amazement in his human's face.

They continued their way, Eleonor asking questions about the Rust Sea and its crystalline formations, and Starscream answering them as best as he could.

A while later, the sea ended, and they flew over another desert area until the ground suddenly disappeared.

Well, it wasn't really that the ground disappeared, but the ground ended in an abrupt cliff.

"Welcome to the Sonic Canyons."

Eleonor stared again in sheer amazement. That canyon had to be, at least, thirty kilometers wide. And she honestly didn't know how deep it was because the bottom was so far below the surface that it was engulfed by the darkness.

"Why are they called the Sonic Canyons?" She asked, still shocked by the sight.

"The sound of Cybertron's underground machinery wells up from the depths and echoes up to the surface." He explained.

"Oh." Eleonor tried to picture in her mind the insides of the planet. "Interesting."

The jet landed on a solitary peak overlooking the magnificent view of the canyons, his engines quieting. He gave no indication of wanting to transform to mech form yet, and neither did he open the cabin.

And Eleonor was perfectly fine with that. She let out a content sigh, just happy to be comfortably sitting inside the seeker and enjoying the view.

"You were right. I am glad that you took me out to do a little tourism." She smiled, caressing the side of the pilot's seat. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." He replied, inwardly smiling, as he recalled a deal he had made with her a couple of days ago, when they were on Earth.

'_You know what we should do? We are going to enjoy every moment we have left. We are not going to worry with if's or when's. We are just going to continue working hard for what's important, and savour every minute of it. Do we have a deal?'_

'_We have a deal.'_

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** It has been long since Starscream and Eleonor had a little time together to interact between them, and I felt like this was the correct moment. I did and re-did their conversation a couple of times, and I am not still very sure about how it turned out. I don't know if I managed to transmit well enough what I wanted to transmit: Eleonor is usually a calm and modest person, she doesn't like to stand out from the rest, she knows her limitations and tries not to be a nuisance. She usually has a strong will, but here she suffers a small emotional breakdown, maybe due to the stress of the situation. Starscream knows this, and doesn't blame her. Because he knows that she is not a war-forged mech, as much as she tries to be strong for him.

That's what I wanted to say... And thank you for reading. And thank you again if you leave a comment.

And I hope you liked the cybertronian landscapes!


	23. Creepers

Chapter 23: Creepers

The huge form of the Nemesis appeared in the distance, the soft hum of the powerful engines announcing its arrival. Despite the considerable size of the Decepticon warship, now it looked tiny as it made its way over the vast canyon that stretched across that territory.

Starscream ignited his thrusters and followed closely, sending a ping to let his Leader know that he was there. The Nemesis continued to navigate the canyons for several kilometers until it began to descend. The stone walls were left high above, and soon, they were engulfed by the most impenetrable darkness.

"I can't see a thing." Eleonor whispered, looking from the orange slit of cybertronian sky far above to the back void surrounding them. Now, even from inside the interior of the seeker's cabin, she could hear the distant echoes of machinery working deep below the planet's surface.

"Heh." Starscream chuckled briefly. "Afraid of the dark, my little pet?" He didn't need natural light to see because his cunning sensors continued to inform him about his surroundings, providing a constant data feed with the nearest objects and obstacles.

"Of course not." Eleonor sounded mildly offended. She was too old for irrational fears.

"Oh, but you _should_." He replied, a cruel purr in his voice.

Now, that had her spooked.

"What do you mean?" She asked, intrigued. "Is there... something else out there?"

"Not now... but you should know that we are not the only beings that inhabit Cybertron." He started to explain, as he tilted his alt-mode slightly on his course, probably taking a curve that Eleonor couldn't see. "This planet also has its own wildlife. Some of them like to lurk in the darkness. And some of them are not very friendly."

"Well, that's a little unsettling..." She admitted, and failed to suppress a shiver that definitely, the seeker felt through the pilot's seat.

"But hey, we have just put to shame Omega Supreme. I seriously doubt that this depths could throw anything more dangerous than that to us right now." He replied confidently, a smirk in his tone that made Eleonor smile too.

Starscream and his confidence, she thought briefly, shaking her head in amusement.

* * *

><p>The Nemesis had landed on an ample ledge beside the canyon's wall. Eleonor took the chance and went back into the ship to quickly renew his supply of oxygen cylinders.<p>

Skywarp was descending the ramp when his trine-leader stopped him.

"Skywarp, you will remain in the ship." Starscream ordered nonchalantly, as he scanned the entrance of the cave they were about to get into. If the rest of the canyon was in darkness, the interior of the cave was pitch-black.

"Aw, why? You always get all the fun." The black seeker whined.

"Because you are still hurt from the last fight, because you can't fly and because I say so." Starscream growled, stomping closer to his brother. "...And because you are my backup plan if something goes wrong." He added, lower, only for his trine-mate, exchanging a quick glance with him. "This should be easy, but lately nothing is going according to the plan, and I'm not taking any chances."

"Got it." Skywarp grinned. "Warp in, grab precious cargo, warp out, save the day." He summarized, winking an optic.

"That's the idea." The beige seeker nodded, giving his brother a light encouraging pat over a wing, now that no one was looking. "Damn it. I hate caves..." He murmured for himself as he looked back at the entrance of the cavern, his wings twitching faintly behind his back.

* * *

><p>A while later, the rest of the team was making their way by the long passage bore through the earth. The terrain was uneven, and they couldn't use their vehicle modes. The cave was in the most absolute darkness, but using their headlights, they were able to light their path as they walked slowly and cautiously.<p>

Eleonor was sitting in Starscream's left servo, trying to peer into the darkness surrounding them beyond the headlights' range, but it was futile. The echoes of the planet's inner machinery were also diminishing as they made their way deeper into the cave. She thought briefly about the purpose of such machinery. The Earth also had activity below its surface, proof of which were the movement of continents, volcanoes and earthquakes. Its origin dates back to the Earth's formation, residual heat from the collision and aggregation of materials that ended up originating the planet. But why had Cybertron movement in its depths? And what purpose did that machinery serve? That was still a mystery to her.

"Can I ask something?" She whispered to Starscream, afraid of breaking the silence.

"Go on." He encouraged her. The silence was boring him anyway. And it wasn't like they were in a stealth mission after all. Their steps and lights would have very likely given away their position by now. He only hoped that their large group would discourage any hostile being from attacking them.

"You said that the noise that could be heard from the Sonic Canyons came from deep underground, from the working machinery inside the planet. What is that machinery for?"

Starscream chuckled slightly. He was already expecting Eleonor to ask something like that.

"Well, that is a difficult question, with really no straight answer." He replied enigmatically. Eleonor tilted her head. "Do you remember when I told you about the Allspark, and how it gives life to our planet?"

"Yes. But I thought that was because the Allspark was used to create new cybertronians."

"Well. The Allspark brings life to our planet in more than one way." He made a pause, his optics flickering through several filters as he scanned the darkness. "When the original Allspark was ejected from our world, the underground machinery _stopped working_. The energon wells dried up. Even the few atmospheric phenomena that Cybertron had, stopped completely. It was as if... as if the planet had _died._"

"And now, with the new Allspark?"

"As you may have already heard, it is working again. Still not at the same rate thought, but it keeps improving." He explained.

"Do you think the new Allspark is not perfect?" She asked, worried.

"The new Allspark is perfect. And as far as my scanners can tell, it is exactly the same as the original one. That's not the reason." Starscream huffed as he jumped over a small cliff, his raptor-like legs flexing to cushion the impact. "When the first Allspark disappeared, the machinery didn't stop suddenly. It slowed progressively until, in the end, it stopped completely. Like when you are driving a car, and stop the engine. If you don't apply the brakes, it slows little by little until it stops completely. And when we brought back the new Allspark, it started working again, little by little, progressively, like when you accelerate a car. I am sure that given time, it will function properly again."

"It's a relief to hear that." Eleonor smiled. For a moment, Starscream had worried her. After all, she had also helped the seeker to reconstruct the Allspark. "So, Cybertron is like a colossal machine itself, all powered by the Allspark?"

"That's one hypothesis." The seeker replied, enigmatically again.

"And what do other hypothesis say?"

Starscream made a dramatic pause.

"That our planet is somehow... _alive_." He hesitated before saying the next one. "Or that it may even be... _Primus_ himself."

Eleonor gulped hard, her throat suddenly dry. And the worst part was that all those sudden revelations didn't surprise her in the least.

"Well, and the best part is that none of those hypothesis are mutually exclusive." She said.

"I've also noticed that." Starscream was thoughtful for some seconds, and then turned to look in the direction of the ancient Prime, who was leading the way, next to Optimus and Megatron. "I briefly thought about asking the Librarian. But I know he is usually very reserved in those matters, and very adamant about revealing things that should not be known."

"Well, it's his job." Eleonor shrugged, and Starscream was a little surprised. It was not like Eleonor to leave a mystery unsolved. "And after this whole mess is calmer, we can make our own research about Cybertron's true nature." She added with complicity.

Now, there was the real Eleonor. His little lab assistant with an insatiable hunger for new discoveries. The seeker smirked, secretly proud of her.

* * *

><p>After a while, they arrived to a new area, where the path descended and widened into an ample subterranean cave. There were several puddles of glowing blue liquid on the ground, and the rocks on the ceiling of the cavern seemed to be covered in little crystals, that reflected the soft glow of the pools, making it look like an indoors version of a starry night.<p>

"This is beautiful." Eleonor exclaimed softly in wonder, as Starscream walked carefully over the uneven ground. He didn't know the depth of those pools.

"Hey, Eleonor. Do you want to see some of Cybertron wildlife?" Thundercracker asked, approaching to his trine-mate.

"If it is not dangerous..." She replied, hesitantly. The blue seeker pointed in one direction, and Eleonor followed his gaze. There, drinking from one of the glowing pools was a metallic creature. It had a segmented body, with no limbs, except for some protrusions around its 'mouth'. It also had several small glowing blue dots near that end of its body that should probably be its optics. As a whole, it looked like a metallic slug, but the size of a cow. "Woah, what is that?"

"It's a space slug. They are usually friendly and harmless unless provoked." Starscream explained. "But that is just a youngling." And producing a flashlight from one of his wrist joints, he pointed to what appeared to be a huge rock behind the slug.

A huge rock that turned out to be another space slug, but with the size of a two-floor bus. Its outer metal armor seemed dull and scratched with age, its movements almost imperceptible as it nibbled idly some crystalline formations near a rock.

"I am glad that they are friendly." She said, looking curiously at the creatures.

Suddenly, both Starscream and Thundercracker stopped, frames tensing, wings twitching slightly as they sharpened their sensors, their gazes lost in some distant point as they appeared to be listening to something.

"Something's coming. Something not so friendly." Thundercracker murmured, exchanging a brief glance with his trine-leader.

::Take cover and hide. Questions later Starscream ordered through the open comm. link to everyone.

They took a small turn in the path that ascended through some rocks and hid behind them, crouching low on the ground. Eleonor was still in the seeker's servo, as silent as the rest of the team.

::What did your sensors pick up, Starscream? Megatron asked, from his hiding spot.

::I'm not sure, but it was big The Second in Command replied, his expression still lost, optics dimmed as he focused on his long-range scanners.

A few minutes passed in silence, and then, everyone could hear a faint rumbling sound, that sounded similar to something metallic been dragged over the rocks.

But as it came, it stopped, and everything fell in silence again.

::Do you think it's gone? Breakdown asked, his sensors not so sharp.

::I think it's He didn't get to finish that transmission, because suddenly, the ground below the area where the glowing pools were, came down, and a huge creature emerged from the rubble, screeching and making horrible sounds.

It looked like another slug, its body covered with the same sturdy circular armor-plates. But it was much longer, and had several long limbs that ended in a single pointed claw. And on its head, surrounding the oral cavity, it had several mouth pieces, similar to an insect or crustacean, but each of them designed to tear, pierce, smash and break through the toughest armor, like it was about to prove.

Lunging forward, the huge creature pounced over the big space slug, that now seemed tiny against the larger predator that was easily ten times its size. The slug tried to curl on itself, relying upon its thick armor as its best line of defense, but it was futile. The other monster was just too big and its mandibles too powerful. The slug gave a final screech and then went finally silent.

Eleonor could only listen in silent horror as the sickening sound of the giant predator feeding on the slug reached the group. Armor been pierced. Cables snapping. Energon been spilled and sucked up.

And they could do nothing but wait in silence. Hopefully, once the beast was sated, he would disappear again to hide in its den until the next meal.

About fifteen minutes later, there was nothing left of the slug, and as they had predicted, the huge predator started moving again, lazily roaming around the pools until it decided to go back to the hole it had bore through the ground.

But just before reaching the hole, it stopped, and lowered its head to the pools to lick some of the glowing blue liquid there. And that was when it suddenly went quiet again, the smaller sensory appendages on its head tantalizing the rubble and small rocks between the pools, picking up something unusual.

Dragging its long body across the rocks, the creature crept towards the hiding place of the mechs, following an invisible path. The beast could smell the creatures from the surface, their scent very different from the slugs he was used to hunt. The creatures from the surface were small, but equally nutritious, and an easy meal was always welcomed to prolong the time between its hunts for larger preys.

::Great. I think it has picked up our trail. Any plans? Barricade growled over the comm. link.

::Distract-Run-Fight Shockwave suggested.

::Go! Megatron barked, already sending the proper mechs their roles through the comm. link.

And in a quick, coordinated series of events, Barricade shot a low powered laser blast to the end of the cavern, behind the creature. The large beast turned to the sound of the rubble falling from the wall behind him, and with his back momentarily turned, the group of mechs made a dash, following the path deeper underground.

The cybertronian monster turned at the sound of steps with a screech. Megatron and Shockwave stood their ground at the rearguard of the group, and started shooting. The beast gave a high-pitched whine and lunged forward, trying to capture its new preys, but the Decepticon Leader and his Lieutenant had already retreated to safety, following the group through a narrow passage.

The beast slammed his huge frame against the rock, its head entering the next cavern, but its body too big to enter.

"Let's hope it can't make it through that narrowing!" Shockwave said, still shooting in their retreat.

"Don't be so sure about it. Today we are having the worst of lucks!" Megatron growled, his weapon capacitor whining loudly as he charged another shot.

At that moment, two more blasts crossed the air over their helms, impacting in the creature's mouth, making it retreat with a pained screech. Megatron and Shockwave turned in time to see Ironhide's cannons still smoking.

"I'm not gonna let you two be the only heroes today!" The weapons specialist huffed with the wicked sense of humor he usually found in the heat of the battle.

The three mechs followed the group as they went deeper into the cave. After going through different galleries and turns they permitted themselves a moment to rest.

"Did we lose it?" Ratchet asked, helping the old Prime to pass over a crack in the ground, his old joints not used to the sudden strain. Everything was quiet again.

"I think so." Starscream whispered, but he was still on edge. Eleonor was curled in his servo, clinging to a finger with more strength than necessary.

They were about to resume their way when a sudden fall of rocks and rubble stopped their advance.

"Slag." Ratchet murmured ominously as he glanced up and saw the huge beast descending from the ceiling through a tunnel, probably bore from an upper gallery. It was hissing and screeching dangerously, and the only wounds that the shots had left on it were several scorch marks.

"I've had enough from you, vermin." Megatron barked, discharging his fusion cannon over the beast.

Bumblebee, been the quickest, jumped and danced between the creature's legs, attracting its attention while the rest of the team tried to bring it down. Though resilient, it was not a very smart beast.

"We are not doing any damage to it! Its armor is too thick!" Optimus said over the noise of battle. "We need to find a weak spot or something!"

As if on cue, several shots that gleamed with an eerie greenish glow crossed the ample gallery. On their impact, the creature let out a horrible screech as its armor started to seethe and smoke.

"Who shot that?" Shockwave asked, his optic scanning the cave.

More green projectiles hit the monster in a quick series, leaving burning and bubbling wounds on the impact spot, corroding the thick metal plates. The creature started to retreat between pained whines and horrible screeches until it finally disappeared through a hole in the ground, leaving one of its mouth appendages behind it, still smoking from the greenish blast.

Now, it was clear that none of them had fired that kind of shots. They had been fired from somewhere near the ceiling of the cave.

"Who's there?" Megatron barked, scanning his surroundings. A soft shuffling noise over their helms had every gun pointed to the ceiling. There was something hiding among the crystalline formations. "Show yourself!" He demanded, firing a warning shot that brought down a whole crystal that shattered against the ground.

"Eep! Be careful with that, would you? That things hurt." A slightly raspy voice hissed from somewhere above them, its tone laced with mild concern.

"Hmm... that voice sounds familiar, but I can remember exactly from where..." Starscream murmured.

"Show yourself! This is your last warning!" Megatron roared again, his patience running thin.

"Alright, alright! I'll come down!" The same raspy voice said quickly in alarm. "But please don't shoot! I mean no harm!"

"That decision is for _me_ to make." The Decepticon Leader growled.

Finally, a dark shadow started to descend from the ceiling, dangling from a thin line until it finally came to rest on the ground. Every headlight and flashlight turned to point at him at that moment. It looked like the huge cybertronian version of a tarantula, mainly black with some details in purple and yellow.

"Ack, please, the light hurts my sensitive optics, they are tuned for low-light conditions!" The new arrival whined, shielding his multiple optics with his pedipalps and first pair of legs.

"Tarantulas!" Megatron snarled, aiming his fusion cannon and snarling with barely contained fury. "You traitorous creeper! Give me one _good_ reason to not blow you up on the spot at this precise instant!"

"Please, Lord Megatron! I mean no harm!" Tarantulas threw up his first pair of legs for emphasis. "I know I was never a reliable Decepticon, I know I went AWOL, and I must admit that that was a very despicable act, but I didn't join the Autobots either, so it wasn't exactly treason."

"I can't see the difference. You are still a coward." Megatron stated coldly.

"Please, my Lord, I did what I had to in order to survive. You know I was never a good fighter, I wouldn't had lasted a cycle out there in a real battlefield..." He replied, a distant regret lacing his words. "But look at me now, I have been helpful to get rid off that monster. And I have noticed that you have been fighting alongside with a few Autobots, so I take it that you are trying to... smooth things over with our old enemies? Doesn't good old Tarantulas deserve a second chance too?" He asked, his tone turning sweeter. "I can be helpful if you give me a chance."

"And why now, after all this time? I thought you were quite happy in your solitude. You were never a good team player." The Decepticon Leader said, narrowing his optics to thin slits. He wasn't convinced at all.

"Ah! Even a loner like me can get lonely once a while." The spider mech replied, lowering his head in shame. "And despite been apart from the rest of the world, I never turned my back completely. I always kept myself informed about the news going on the airwaves. You would be surprised with the things I know."

"Like what?" Megatron asked, testing the mech.

"I know that the War ended. And that you saved the planet. I was hoping I could be useful again. In times of peace clever minds like mine are valuable..." He said, a couple of his multiple optics casting a sideways glance to Starscream and Eleonor. "I even know the human language, as you can see. I am an easy going mech. I think things through before acting. I am not a mindless brute. I know you are going to need mechs like me, who have their priorities clear." His tone turned sickly-sweet again, praising his own strong points.

"Well, I must admit that he had been very helpful with that underground monster." Optimus pointed out. But Megatron wasn't still completely convinced.

"Ah! Optimus Prime, a reasonable mech, indeed." Tarantulas exclaimed, delighted.

"A reasonable but _wary_ mech. And during a long time, your enemy." Optimus corrected him, his tone stern.

"Of course, of course, but weren't we all enemies once? And here we are!" He turned around, gesturing with his first pair of legs to the cavern around them. "Working together for the greater good on an epic quest! Autobots, Decepticons, loners... even a _human_ and an... _ancient Prime_." He purred the last part.

Megatron rose an optic ridge.

"And how would you know that?"

"Like I said before, I never stopped listening to the airwaves..." The spider mech replied, enigmatically. "And judging from this path you were following, I even know where you are headed to." He said innocently.

The Decepticon Leader pondered his words for a while. Too smart. Tarantulas had always been too smart and clever for his own good.

"You have saved us today, and for that I will spare your life." He said, slowly. "But I do not trust you at all, Tarantulas. Go back to hide wherever it is that you have been hiding during the whole War." He warned, stepping closer, his imposing frame towering over the spider mech, who was very wide, but not higher than an earth car.

Tarantulas gave a pained sigh and stepped aside, clearing the way to the next cavern.

"As you wish, Lord Megatron..." He gave up. "But if you won't accept my help, please, hear my warning." The Decepticon Leader turned to glare at him. "There is... something _wrong_ with Vector Sigma."

"Something wrong?" This time, it was Alpha Trion who spoke, concern evident in his voice.

"Yes. I still can't put a servo on it... but I can _feel_ it. I have no way to be certain, because I can't go inside, but when I am near, it just feels wrong. It's like... a feeling of dread seeping through your joints and seizing your spark." He tried to explain, his tone laced with concern. "It's frustrating, specially for me, because I am a science mech, and even _I_ have been unable to find a logical explanation for what is wrong down there... But please, believe me when I say this. Be _careful_, and be prepared for anything." He gave another tired sigh. "And good luck."

And with that, the spider mech recoiled a couple of respectful steps back, and turned to climb down the hole in the ground that the beast had bore in its flight.

"I'll make myself sure that that beast doesn't try to go after you again." He said, halfway through the tunnel.

Megatron let out a soft groan and rubbed his nasal ridge.

"Tarantulas, wait."

"Yes?" The spider mech emerged again from the ground.

"I still don't trust you. But you can come with us." Megatron conceded. "Prove to me that you can be useful, and I may grant you a chance for redemption."

"Oh! Your mercy is infinite, Lord Megatron!"

"But betray me again, and I swear, I'll make you wish you were _dead_ because your fate would be much _worse_." Megatron warned, his voice icy, his crimson glare piercing through the other mech.

"You won't regret it!"

::Shockwave, Starscream. I want him watched in every moment. I can have mercy, but I am no _fool_ The Decepticon Leader informed through their private comm. link.

::Friends close. Enemies _closer_ Starscream agreed.

::And do not mention anything about our mission here He added.

* * *

><p>The group, with the new addition continued their way towards Vector Sigma, with the enigmatic warning of the spider mech still lingering on the air. They were now crossing a long cavern with crystalline growths of several colors scattered across the walls and ceiling.<p>

They decided to make a brief pause there, so that they could rest for some brief minutes.

"You may want to switch off your lights from now on." Tarantulas advised. "Those crystals glow with their own light, and you won't be attracting unnecessary attention."

They did as the spider had suggested, and discovered that they could, indeed, see perfectly fine with the light of the crystals.

"You know these depths all too well." Starscream said, his tone still a little distrustful.

"I've had a long time to explore down here." The spider mech shrugged with his pedipalps. "It's actually a nice place to live once you learn how to defend yourself."

"I thought that you weren't a good fighter." The seeker said, nonchalantly.

"And I am not. But the game down here is not about fighting, but about avoiding a fight and persuading the enemy." He replied slyly, winking half of his multiple optics.

"Hmm. I must admit that it sounds like a fine strategy for a lone mech." Starscream admitted, taking a seat on the ground.

Tarantulas nodded, and then diverted his attention to Eleonor, who was standing next to the seeker's thigh, shielded by his servo. The woman was looking at the new mech and trying to hide her infinite curiosity, but failing miserably. She was fascinated by the spider-like cybertronian.

"What a fine human specimen you have there. Can I take a closer look?" He said, trying to get closer. The seeker gave a warning growl, but permitted it. After all, there wasn't much the spider could do with his servo shielding the human.

"H-hello." Eleonor said, waving a hand a little nervously. She wasn't scared of spiders at all, but the sight of the huge cybertronian tarantula was a little unsettling. "My name is Eleonor."

"Hello there, little creature." He purred, drawing closer and slowly reaching with a pedipalp to gently hold Eleonor's left hand. "Has anyone told you how utterly delicious you look?" He added in his sickly-sweet voice.

Eleonor felt a shiver running up her spine as the spider drew closer. She could perfectly see all of his multiple little optics focused on her and the huge sharp chelicerae.

"I am pretty sure that no one has described me as 'delicious' before. I would have remembered it." She replied as politely as she could.

"Oh, I apologize. I was trying to make a compliment, but the finesse of your language keeps avoiding me." He chuckled, and Eleonor smiled a little. "As you may have already heard, my name is Tarantulas, and I was once a great scientist, specialized in xenobiology. That's why I was so interested in seeing you closely, please forgive my manners, but I was very curious."

"Don't worry, I understand it completely. I am also a biologist, well, you could say that lately I have been working as a xenobiologist too, and I understand the thrill of discovering new species."

"Good!" The spider exclaimed, rubbing his pedipalps together. "We have a lot in common!"

Starscream looked suspiciously at the spider. Too smart and too friendly.

"I am having a difficult time finding you in my scanners, Tarantulas. Why is it that?" The seeker asked, trying, at least, to unveil some of the mysteries that surrounded the other mech.

"Oh, what would be one of the side-effects of my... current nature." The other mech replied, chuckling slightly.

"Your current nature?" Eleonor repeated, tilting her head curiously.

"Yes. As you may or may not have noticed, I am half organic." He gestured to himself with his first pair of legs. And now that Eleonor looked at him closely, she noticed that besides from the obviously mechanical parts that composed his frame, there were certain parts covered in another type of material. She tentatively reached with a hand and touched one of those areas. It was covered with a soft fur, like a real tarantula would be, but was hard and durable, and there was definitely something organic about it.

"How did you do this?"

"I have the bad habit of experimenting on myself." Tarantulas replied, shamelessly, shrugging with his pedipalps. "It was a long time ago. I was studying some little organic critters, from your planet, I believe, what a coincidence." Eleonor nodded. "And, well, they had some admirable qualities that I wanted for myself. The rest... well, you can imagine how it went."

"Did it... hurt?"

"Like the Pit." The spider growled, a little displeased by the memory. "But it was worth it. It masks my signal, which is a good thing down here. It also gave me some good chemical weapons to dissuade creatures like the one you encountered before from making a meal out of me. And some quick reflexes too."

"Do you still have a mech-form?"

"Yes, but I must admit that I haven't used it in ages. I am far more comfortable in this one down here, creeping in the dark. Maybe I inherited some of that wild instincts from my organic part. But the overall results were highly satisfactory." He said, quite proud of himself. "Would you like to try? I am sure I can make you half-mechanic." He added with complicity in his raspy voice.

"She is perfectly fine the way she is." Starscream intervened quickly. "She doesn't need to be you lab rat."

"What a pity." The spider said, feigning sadness, but regarding the seeker warily. "I am sure it could have vastly prolonged her _life span_." He added, his voice turning again into a sickly-sweet purr and messing her hair with one leg. "But don't worry. You still look delicious to me." And with that, he turned around to continue wandering through the cavern, making himself sure that no predators were following them.

Eleonor continued staring at him for some seconds, her gaze lost, until Starscream curled his servo around her and pulled her to his lap.

"Don't listen to him. You are perfect the way you are." He whispered. "And that mech is mad." He added in a hiss.

* * *

><p>The rest of the travel went uneventful, besides from encountering minor wildlife that scattered as they passed by, too small to pose any threat.<p>

Progressively, the stone and rock from the caverns were replaced by metal from some kind of construction, and the path turned into a derelict pavement road.

Eleonor shivered, a strange sensation seeping into her as she held tighter to one claw. Starscream looked down at her questioningly.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yes... It's nothing." She replied, shaking her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

From the other end of the group, Tarantulas watched her intently. At least one of his multiple optics had been trained on her at all times.

Eleonor's discomfort kept increasing until the group finally stopped in front of the great door that lead to the chamber there Vector Sigma was supposed to be. She was trembling.

"You can feel it too, huh?" The spider mech purred approaching the human.

Megatron looked down from Tarantulas to Eleonor, who seemed to be in some kind of distress.

"I-its like y-you said before..." She stuttered, her hairs standing on end. Something inside there was just casting raw _fear_. "There's something there that makes my blood run cold... I can't explain it."

"And how is it that the rest of us don't feel anything different?" Optimus asked, mildy concerned.

"I think it is because we are, at least, part organic." Tarantulas said, deep in thought. "How _interesting_."

Megatron frowned briefly. It seemed that Tarantulas' warning was true after all. Then, he turned to address Optimus.

"I'm afraid we can't afford to return empty handed." The Decepticon Leader smirked, his optics gleaming in anticipation. "Optimus, you know what to do." He said, reading his fusion cannon. Shockwave and Ironhide mimicked him, the loud whine of loading weapon capacitors filling the silence of the cavern.

The Autobot Leader nodded grimly, and signaled the old Prime to take cover at the rearguard. Then, he extracted from sub-space a small object with a shape that seemed to be in constant, fluid motion, shifting its configuration as it floated in the air. The Key to Vector Sigma.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Woah! I wasn't expecting that. I swear, I was one day in bed, but couldn't sleep. I kept rolling from side to side. And then it hit me. I need a new character so spice things up a little! So, did you like my version of Tarantulas? He is fun to write, little creeper with a touch of mad scientist. What do you think? Could he be trusted?


	24. Fear

Chapter 24: Fear

The great door opened, its panels shifting with a hiss of hydraulics, letting out a gust of air that had been trapped inside that room for eons. Everything inside was in darkness, with no automatic lights switching on as should have been expected.

"Nothing in my scanners." Thundercracker muttered.

"I think I'm picking something..." Tarantulas whispered, receiving an incredulous glance from the blue seeker. "Well, it's not that I'm picking up something, rather than not picking it up... I mean, there is an area ahead that doesn't reflect in my scanners. It's like a void. It's not like receiving a blank signal. It's like receiving _nothing,_ as if the signals disappeared in some kind of void that doesn't reflect them." He tried to explain, shifting on his spot.

"Is that normal, Librarian?" Megatron asked.

"I have only been down here once before, but it was nothing like... this. This is different. Something has happened."

"Do you have anything against shedding some light on the matter?" Barricade intervened, extracting several chemical-flares from his sub-space.

A nod from Megatron, and Barricade twitched his claws, breaking the inner capsules of the flares, making the two different chemicals mix. The reaction caused the flares to glow brightly with a warm white light, and the hunter tossed them inside the room.

Nothing so far.

Megatron grunted and made a gesture to Optimus with his helm, and both leaders stepped inside, cannons humming in front of them. Optics scanning the interior but finding nothing.

The room was very ample and circular, with a vaulted ceiling. Symbols and carvings adorned the walls and floors with the ancient language of the Primes. In the middle of the room, there was some kind of terminal on a pedestal. And just behind the pedestal, there was a huge circular drawing on the floor, adorned with carvings and writings.

Not sensing any immediate danger, the rest of the team entered the room, scattering and taking positions around their leaders.

"The Key is supposed to go on that pedestal." The Librarian explained, pointing to the structure. "Perhaps, if we could initialize Vector Sigma, we would be able to find out what's wrong with it."

Optimus nodded, and approached the pedestal. Then, he carefully placed the Key on it, which remained floating over the strange terminal, constantly shifting its shape.

The pedestal began to glow and emit a soft hum. At the same time, the marks on the walls and floors lit up. The carvings around the ample circle on the floor pulsed intermittently for some seconds before a soft hiss of hydraulics could be heard, and the panels on the floor began to shift and retract under one another until they left a hollow space in the center.

A hollow space that was soon filled by a deep purple glow emanating from the depths as a big, spherical object began to rise.

Eleonor gasped softly and shivered on her spot behind the beige seeker's calf. She slowly turned to look at Tarantulas, who was a couple of meters next to her, at the rearguard. He was staring at the sphere, but stopped to look back at her.

Finally, the dark spherical object that glowed in deep purple reached the surface and remained silently floating in the air, dark tendrils of energy emanating from it and gracing the edges of the circle.

"I am sure that you, being fully organic can feel it with much more intensity than me. So tell me, how does it feel like?" The spider mech asked to Eleonor, his voice lowered to a deep whisper.

"It's...fear. Just _raw fear_. Freezing. Irrational. I can't understand it." She shook her head, trying to remain calm, which was proving to be quite a feat.

"This wasn't like this. This is like a twisted, corrupted version of Vector Sigma. What happened here?" The old Prime said, in disbelief. Optimus looked at him with concern.

Suddenly, a cruel laughter could be heard coming from the rearguard of the group.

"And what, pray tell, is supposed to be so funny, Tarantulas?" Starscream asked, null-ray gun readied on the strange sphere.

"Actually..." The spider mech gave a dramatic pause, and his raspy voice turned more sinister than ever when he pronounced the next word. "..._Everything_."

And at that precise instant, numerous tendrils of dark energy surged from the dark sphere, lunging for the mechs across the room. Autobots and Decepticons alike opened fire on the tendrils of energy, but where one was destroyed, many more appeared on its place.

The fight was quick and unfair, and soon, everymech was on the floor, thick tendrils coiled around their limbs and weapons, pinning and immobilizing them with impossible strength.

Everymech except Tarantulas, who was cackling madly.

"You treacherous creeper! I'm going to pull out your spark and feed it to you while you're still on-line!" Megatron roared, rage seeping into each word, arms and cannon tied behind his back as he unsuccessfully tried to break free. His optics flared crimson red, glaring daggers at the spider.

"What is the meaning of this? I thought you wanted a second chance!" Optimus said, trying to appeal to the mech's common sense, if he even had any left.

"Oh, please, shut up. You are in no position to demand anything, honestly." Tarantulas replied offhandedly. He wandered around the room as if he owned the place. "And it all has been so, so easy! I almost can't believe it!" He exclaimed gleefully. "Oh, please, have mercy, Lord Megatron! I swear I can be useful again!" He said, in an ironic imitation of himself, chuckling loudly.

"You will regret this." Starscream hissed, poison in his voice.

"Ah! And that reminds me... Why don't you come over here, little delicious thing?" Tarantulas purred, glancing around him, clearly looking for Eleonor. "Come on, there's no need to be shy. I know Starscream signaled you to take cover before things went out of control."

"You leave her out of this, vermin!" Starscream thrashed fruitlessly, his optics flaring with promises of unspeakable tortures.

"But imagine all the fun I could have using her as a hostage! Don't be such a spoilsport, Starscream. You have had enough fun with her, now it's my turn." He laughed cruelly and then turned to look around him once more. "Little girl?" Not receiving any response, he hummed as he caressed his chelicera thoughtfully with one pedipalp. "Well, I honestly didn't want to resort to this, because I don't enjoy unnecessary violence, but you leave me no other option." And then, morphing one of his forelegs into a gun, he turned to aim point-blank range at the seeker's helm. "I want you here in less than five seconds or... well, I am sure you saw what my chemical blasts can do with the toughest armors..." He said in a cruel purr. Starscream's optics narrowed, fixated on the other mech. "One... two..."

"No! Please!" Eleonor's distressed voice came from somewhere behind the beige seeker.

"Ah, as I said before, too easy. Far too easy." Tarantulas giggled and shifted his weapon back into a normal leg. "Why don't you come over here?" He purred, his voice adopting that sickly-sweet tone that he loved to use as a synonym of cruelty.

Eleonor flinched, seized by pure terror, but she forced herself to move. What other options did she have? That mech had taken down everyone in that room without blinking an optic. She knew that he could be on her in an instant. Making her come to him was only to further mock and enrage the Autobots and Decepticons. And specially, to make Starscream seethe with fury.

"Such a docile and obedient little thing you are." Tarantulas purred sweetly as he closed the distance that still separated them, stopping just centimeters from her, optics leering above her. Eleonor was trembling in sheer horror.

"If you so much as put _one_ of your dirty legs on her I swear-"

"You'll what?" Tarantulas snapped back, cutting off the seeker as he pulled Eleonor closer to him, wrapping his pedipalps around her, sharp chelicera ghosting over her trembling form. Eleonor bit back a whimper and shut her eyes tightly. "Like I said before, you are in no position to demand anything."

"What are you planning, Tarantulas?" Shockwave asked, his tone eerily calm despite his predicament.

"Ah, Shockwave..." Tarantulas exclaimed in delight, momentarily forgetting about Eleonor and releasing her near the seeker. "...Always straight to the point and trying to extract something valuable even in the most dire situations. I like that. If it weren't for your unwavering commitment to your Leader and faith in your cause you would have been a great ally. What a shame." He said in mock pity. "But what it is really a pity is that neither of you have figured out yet what is corrupting Vector Sigma." He said, approaching the dark glowing sphere and running a pedipalp down his right chelicera in a thoughtful gesture. "Not even Starscream, the brilliant scientist. Not even Alpha Trion, the mighty ancient Prime with the gift of foresight."

"It does not work that way." The old Prime said, disgust evident in his voice.

The spider chuckled softly for himself before speaking, staring at the orb.

"Have you ever heard that where there is light, there will be always shadows, at least a small amount?" Tarantulas said, his raspy voice distant. "Well, the last time Primus and Unicron battled each other, a small part of Unicron remained with Primus. Like a small crack of darkness marring the light. That was a long time ago, and that small portion of darkness has remained dormant since then."

"Are you implying that..." Starscream wanted to ask.

"That Cybertron is Primus himself? Of course. I took you for a better scientist, Starscream. You disappoint me." Tarantulas said, cutting off the seeker again. "And nothing would had happened if it weren't for the little... _incident_ with the Allspark." He chuckled. "The loss of the Cube weakened our planet long enough for that little piece of Unicron to awaken, gain strength and seize one of the most important parts of Cybertron. Vector Sigma, where Primus could interact with his Cybertronian children."

His multiple optics were fixated on the dark orb.

"I found it by chance. I could hear the very voice of Unicron calling out for me. Promising me to show me how to harness his power. He promised to become one with me. I only needed to offer him my body so that he could break free from this ethereal prison." Tarantulas rubbed his pedipalps together. "Which suits me just fine, because, as I have already told you, I was tired of being alone. And acquiring the powers of the God of Destruction is a fairly desirable plus."

"You are mad, Tarantulas. Even if it is only a small fragment of the essence of Unicron, no one can control that power. He will destroy you." The old Prime said, trying to beat some sense into the spider-like mech.

"I am sure he would... if my objectives were different than his own... as we are about to check!" And with that, Tarantulas transformed into his mech form and approached the dark orb. Tendrils and arcs of energy surged from the black and purple sphere, connecting with him. Tarantulas arched and howled in agony, falling to his knees.

"Oh, Primus, he's mad." Eleonor whispered, pressing herself against Starscream's frame.

Progressively, Tarantulas' howling morphed into maniacal laughter.

"Yes! Our objectives are the same! I contribute with the frame and Unicron contributes with the power!" The mad mech cackled. "I am the perfect herald of the Unmaker!"

Megatron stared at the empowered mech, silently cursing his helpless situation.

"Ohh, this is better than I thought. Indeed, much better. All this eons biding my time have been worth the wait." Tarantulas laughed, turning to face the rest of the mechs. "I can feel your _fear_. Savour it. _Feed_ on it. Of all the powers I have gained, _this_ is the one I am going to enjoy the most by far." He said reveling in the feeling. "All these millennia of war and all you have done is grow weaker and weaker. Do you know what plagues your minds right now? Fear of losing someone! Is that the best you can offer me? You make me sick." He said, shaking his helm in disdain.

"To care about others is not a weakness." Optimus said, with barely suppressed rage.

"But it _is_ when it stops you from achieving your objectives." Tarantulas purred. "Please, allow me to illustrate it" He added gleefully, as he strode towards the Autobot Leader, and producing a tendril of dark energy from his body, he snatched Optimus' blaster from the floor. Then, he approached to Starscream and picked up Eleonor in his free servo. The young woman let out a short terrified squeak, but fell silent when the muzzle of the weapon was aimed point-blank to her face.

"You miserable Pit-spawned glitch, I am going to pull out your limbs one by one. All of them!" Starscream snarled wings shaking and servos clawing at the floor, leaving deep gouges despite their severely restricted movement.

"Aw, don't worry, Starscream. I was just joking. There's no need to be so rude." The spider mech said, with mock sadness. "The blaster is for _you_." He purred, and left the weapon on the floor, in front of the seeker. Then, he retreated several meters and released Starscream's left arm. The one that didn't have a null-ray gun.

The seeker quickly snatched the blaster and aimed to the spider mech with a furious growl.

But he couldn't pull the trigger.

Because Tarantulas was holding Eleonor just above his chest.

"That blaster is a lot less accurate than your usual null-ray. Its area of effect is very wide. But it is equally powerful. I am pretty sure that I wouldn't survive a shot at this distance." The spider mech said with his sickly-sweet voice. "Even aiming from your undoubtedly uncomfortable position on the floor it is a very unlikely shot to miss. I know you are a great marksman." He waited some more tense seconds. Starscream didn't move. Only kept glaring daggers at him.

"Do it." Eleonor whispered, her eyes fixated upon the seeker, holding his gaze, silent acceptance and resolve in her expression. She knew that stopping Tarantulas was right now the highest priority. Many more lives could be in danger. If her death meant that the spider would be destroyed, then so be it.

"Yes! Do it, Starscream! Send me to the Pit where I shouldn't have ever crawled from!" Tarantulas continued his taunts. "Come on! Just one shot. One _single_ shot and you'll get rid of two birds. A dangerous enemy and a... _liability_."

Starscream knew he should do it. Just pull the trigger. It's the right thing to do. Even _she_ has accepted it. She also knows it's the right thing to do.

And yet, all he could think about was the promise to enjoy every moment they had left.

Starscream snarled as he pressed the trigger.

Tarantulas didn't even flinch as the shot passed right beside him, without even marring his arm, and impacting on the wall far behind him.

"That was what I was thinking." The spider mech purred as another tendril of dark energy coiled around the seeker's arm, making him drop the blaster and firmly securing both servos to his back. "Even one of the cruellest Decepticons has grown weak like an Autobot." He approached the seeker again and gave him a tug from one of his wings. "You do not deserve to live." He hissed, poison in his voice. "But don't worry. I am not going to kill any of you just yet. Where would be the fun in that, when I can just take my leave and continue reveling in your deepest fears, growing stronger because of them?" He chuckled darkly. "There is nothing you can do to stop me, anyway."

He strode across the room, the dark energy from the sphere swirling around him until it dissipated or disappeared under his armor.

"So, me and your little dove here are going to take our leave. I still have a busy agenda." He stopped as he reached the door-frame and turned to address the mechs one last time. "Next time we meet, will be the last." He said, in his trademark sickly-sweet purr.

The doors closed after he exited the room, and after a few seconds, the tendrils of energy that were keeping them immobile disappeared.

Starscream shot up as soon as he was free, and made a dash to the exit. But when the doors opened, there was no one there.

He howled in frustration, trying to hide the worry and terror that threatened to seize his spark.

* * *

><p>Rock formations and glowing crystals passed by as a blurr as Tarantulas made his way through the dimly lit tunnels and galleries that composed the labyrinth that were the depths of Cybertron. His territory.<p>

A place that he knew like his own chelicera.

He jumped and glided from wall to wall, sometimes using agile his legs and sometimes using his thick spider-silk. And the whole way, he kept Eleonor firmly secured between his forelegs. She was very quiet, eyes tightly shut as she tried to think about something. Anything. Anything but the fear and dread that the spider mech inspired in her.

'Focus, Eleonor. Focus.' She repeated in her mind, forcing herself to remain calm. 'Yes, this is bad, but you have survived far worse. He wants you alive to use you as a hostage. You are smart. There has to be something that you can do. Come on, think!'

She still had her pendant. Starscream knew where she was. He could find her. Even teleport directly to her coordinates with the help of Skywarp. But even if he did that, he needed a plan first. Tarantulas had immobilized the whole team in few seconds. A similar approach without a proper strategy would be suicidal. That would probably delay the rescue a little, but provided that she didn't lose the pendant, help would come to her sooner or later.

The sudden lack of movement pulled her out from her thoughts. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings. They had arrived in an ample cavern that was dimly lit with artificial lights. This had to be the spider's den.

"Well, we have arrived." Tarantulas said cheerfully, placing her on the ground and gently turning her around with a leg. Eleonor visibly paled. In front of her was a small spaceship of bizarre design.

That was a whole load of problems against any hope of a rescue. The first one of them been the limited range of the tracer in her pendant. If they left Cybertron, she would be out of range. Which led to the second problem: where was he going to take her? It was already very difficult for her to survive on cybertron. She had to carry her supply of oxygen everywhere. And the atmospheres of other planets would surely kill her in 98% of cases. The reasons were very varied. Too low partial air pressures, the presence of toxic chemical compounds, and a long etc.

"I-I thought that you wanted to k-keep me as hostage..." She said, distress evident in her voice.

"And that I intend..." He said from behind her in a low purr, next to her right ear. "What makes you doubt of my word?" He asked, feigning a hurt tone.

"I don't know if you know many things about human physiology... but we need to breath oxygen, or else we-"

"Or else you what...?" He interrupted her, his voice harsh but his first pair of legs and pedipalps gentle, skilled and quick as he stripped her from her backpack and pulled away the tubes that supplied her with the needed oxygen. Eleonor gasped and held her breath as Tarantulas turned her around to lock all his optics on her. "Ah, I could never get tired of this. That expression of sheer panic and dread as you realize that you are going to die within the next seconds and there is absolutely _nothing_ you can do to avoid it." He purred sweetly. "And my favourite part, when you give up and die, _yes_! So beautiful! Give in to me!" His sweet purr had derived into a devious cackle.

* * *

><p>Starscream's fist slammed into the door-frame, leaving deep gouges into the metal.<p>

"Starscream..." Thundercracker whispered, next to his brother and trine-mate. He could feel the raw fury and anger, partially directed to himself, radiating from him, barely shielded across their link. Anger. Fear. Shame. Regrets. Failure.

"I am going after them." The beige seeker hissed, starting his thrusters.

"No you _won't_." The deep voice of Megatron rumbled from behind him, authority very clear in his tone.

Starscream turned to face his Leader, growling low.

"I thought that we were clear about me following you only while our objectives were the same. And right now, they are _not_." Starscream hissed, wings low behind his back, poised for combat, a silent threat in the seeker's body language.

Megatron's left arm attacked with lightning speed in a movement that Starscream did not anticipate. He expected his Leader to rise his right arm and aim at him with his fusion cannon to beat some sense into him. But instead of that, all what Megatron did was harshly slap him with the back of his servo.

Everymech in the room froze.

Starscream's own servo rose to his face-plates, to cover the beaten spot, his gaze locked onto his Leader's. It had been a long time since Megatron had physically punished him, but this time it had not been intended to inflict real damage. Only to humiliate him.

"I've had enough with one betrayal for today. If you want to do the same I suggest you to wait at least until tomorrow." The Decepticon Leader snarled, crimson optics flashing dangerously.

"And what comes next? Are you going to reprimand me for not terminating my pet?" The seeker snapped back.

"I certainly could do that too, because, as much as things have changed lately, I still think that the life of one human is well worth sacrificing if it means destroying the very herald of the Unmaker! Do you know who did that same thing once? Good old Optimus! Maybe you would be more comfortable with the Autobots!" Megatron snarled back, poison in his voice as he circled the seeker.

"Hey, leave us out of your petty quarrels if-" Ironhide started to say, but he was quickly silenced by Shockwave, who placed a servo upon his mouth and glared back at him, shaking his helm ominously, indicating him that it was best not to interfere between the Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command.

"I have my own methods, and no one is going to tell me how to solve my problems! I do things my way!" Starscream hissed, pouncing over his Leader.

"They are everyone's problems now, you fool! We are all in danger!" Megatron shouted back and snatched the seeker mid-air, slamming him into a wall and trying to immobilize his infuriated Second in Command. Starscream could be very dangerous when blinded by fury.

"Well, what the _frag_ do you want me to do?" The beige seeker rose one of his clawed feet and sunk his talons in his Leader's abdominal-plating.

"You could stop fighting, for instance." The gentle voice of the old Prime called them from a safe distance.

The battling mechs turned at unison to glare at the Librarian, who flinched slightly under the intensity of the combined glares.

"Starscream. You are my Second because you are skilled, precise, resolute, self-confident, but above all that, because you are _smart_ and you _think quicker_ than anyone." Megatron spoke, ignoring the pain in his abdominal-plating, his voice a little lower but full of command force. "And right now, I want you to be smart. Tarantulas believes that he is the smartest mech in Cybertron but he is _wrong_." The seeker ceased to struggle under his Leader's grip and looked back at him, directly into his optics. "Because the smartest mech in Cybertron is right in _front of me_." Megatron said, resolute. "That traitor wants your pet as a hostage. She will be safe for now. That gives us some time to think and plan a better strategy. Cool your processors and think, Starscream. We have to be ahead of him. That's the only way we can stop him now."

The Decepticon Leader released his Second in Command, who stood against the wall, shock written across his face-plates.

Megatron was right.

He had to think. And quickly.

* * *

><p>Eleonor couldn't hold her breath any longer. Tears falling from her eyes, she gasped for air in what she knew was going to be the first of her lasts breaths. She inhaled deep, also knowing that it was only a mere reflex, and that it would bring no relief.<p>

But the feeling of exhaustion and the loss of consciousness that she knew was about to follow... never came.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that I have filled this cavern and my ship with oxygen?" Tarantulas said suddenly with an air of innocence, releasing her from his grip. She fell to the ground on her knees. "I am sorry, my bad." He added with his trademark sweet purr. And with that, he turned to make his way towards the entrance of the ship. "I have a busy agenda. We have someplace to visit. Come in when you are done catching your breath. Don't make me come back to look for you." He warned sweetly, half turning to glance at her.

And Eleonor knew that it was just another way to tease her. To mock her. Because they both knew that there was nowhere she could run to.

Sighing in defeat she glanced at her backpack, which was lying on the ground, its contents scattered around. She started to pick up everything and properly store them again. The oxygen cylinder, a small first-aid pack, a flash drive, a bottle of water...

And then it hit her.

Tarantulas' words echoed in her mind.

_We have someplace to visit._

* * *

><p>Starscream was pacing up and down the room, tapping his chin-plates with a claw, deep in thought.<p>

"She has a pendant with a tracer. I have her coordinates. She is far below the ground, but we would be too late if we go on foot, not mentioning that the caverns and galleries constitute a labyrinth down there, and that there are natural predators roaming around." Starscream spoke, running different scenarios in his processors. "Even with Skywarp, he can only teleport two other mechs at a time with him, and arriving in such few numbers would ensure our defeat. You saw how easily he could restraint our movements with that energy tendrils. We need to attack with blunt force. Fast and deadly."

::Uh... Guys...?:: The hesitant voice of Skywarp cracked through the open comm. link, pulling everyone out from their thoughts.

::What is it, Skywarp?:: Starscream asked.

::I just saw an unidentified light cruiser appear from the deep reaches of the canyon, doing a sharp ascend towards the sky and-::

::Did you track it?:: Starscream asked in a rush, making his trine-mate flinch at the other end of the link.

::I-I tried, but as soon as it reached orbit, it warped out. I didn't know a cruiser of that category could have a built-in space bridge. Is anyone you know?::

Suddenly, Starscream focused on the signal coming from Eleonor's pendant and his spark froze. It was not sending any vital signs. Only position. The same unmoving coordinates. He had been so engrossed thinking about a strategy against Tarantulas, that he had completely forgotten about the pendant feed.

"That fragger could be anywhere in the Universe and we don't have a single clue of where to start searching!" Megatron snarled.

"Primus... She's dead." The beige seeker murmured to himself, shock written in his face-plates. But then, he extracted the files of the last received data from the pendant and reviewed them. The heart rate had fluctuated greatly, sure thing she had been scared. But then it had stopped suddenly. As well as the temperature. It had been a constant thirty-six point five degrees Celsius and then, suddenly, it had dropped to fifteen. The ambient temperature of that caverns.

Eleonor was not dead.

She had lost her pendant or taken it off.

The first option was highly unlikely. The chain was very resistant.

That left the second option. But why to take it off? Even if Tarantulas had found the device, it was very obvious that the tracer had little range. If he was to abandon Cybertron, why bother getting rid of a device that was going to be useless?

Unless...

Eleonor had taken it off by herself. Voluntarily.

::Skywarp, teleport to my position. Now:: Starscream said suddenly, snapping out of his thoughts.

In less than three seconds, the black seeker was standing next to him, concern written in his face-plates.

"Now, take us to this coordinates I'm sending to you." Starscream said. Megatron looked back at him questioningly. "We'll be back in a klik."

* * *

><p>Starscream and Skywarp appeared in a dimly lit cavern, weapons drawn, sensors high. The lighting in the area was artificial, and further inspection revealed a heavy gate that presumably led to a gallery connected to the outside of the canyon. There were marks on the ground, evidence of a ship that had been docked there for a long time.<p>

But now, as Starscream had suspected, there was no one there.

"Starscream, look." Skywarp said, pointing to a spot on the ground.

Discreetly placed at the base of a rock, glowing very faintly, was Eleonor's pendant. With the chain, she had formed the shape of an arrow that was pointing to a nearby rock with a flat side. Producing a flashlight from his wrist-joint, Starscream lit the rock. And as soon as the light touched the flat side of the rock, it shone in certain places, describing a pattern.

Eleonor had used the water she carried in a small bottle to write something on the rock. Then, she had used dust from the ground of the caverns and spread it over the writing when it was still wet. That had caused the dust to stick to the pattern.

It was invisible unless pointed at with a flashlight, when the small pulverized crystals that composed the dust shone, revealing the writing.

'_63-N-8541'_

"Smart girl." Starscream smirked, crouching to pick up the pendant and storing it in subspace.

"What was that? Some kind of code?" Skywarp asked, looking at the numbers and letters, still lost with the whole situation. "And where's Eleonor?"

"Safe for now, but not for a long time. As we all are. I'll brief you later. Now take us back to the others." The trine-leader said, his optics brightening with resolve.

* * *

><p>"I know where they are headed for!" Starscream shouted as soon as they were back in the room of Vector Sigma.<p>

"How? Where?" Megatron demanded to know.

"Well, my little _disposable_ pet managed to leave us a message with Tarantulas' destination." The seeker said, with barely suppressed contempt. "He didn't want her as a hostage. He _needed_ her. To open a certain _door_." Starscream shot a knowing look at Megatron.

"The golden cavern where the Covenant was located! He needs her to open the second door!" Megatron exclaimed, optics brightening as realization hit him too.

"Where it is also located the Requiem Blaster!" Optimus intervened, recalling the information he had received about the place.

"Tarantulas may have grown more powerful, but he is not invincible. After all, it was only a small portion of Unicron's essence what he took. Tarantulas is still mortal and he knows it. The Star Saber doesn't worry him because its fragments are still scattered. But the Requiem Blaster would be easier to obtain. He wants that weapon so that no one can use it against him." Said the Librarian.

"Time is pressing, but we still need a strategy to face Tarantulas." Shockwave reminded to everyone, always been the practical mech.

"**Maybe I can help in that task."** An unknown voice spoke suddenly. It came from everywhere and nowhere in particular. It sounded as if it was composed of multiple voices speaking at the same time, different tones and timbres mixed together into a single voice that was gentle, but at the same time, powerful. Innocent, but at the same time, full of wisdom. Young, but at the same time, older than everything.

They turned around to face the place where the dark orb had been, but now, it looked radically different. The sphere was now glowing golden and white, a soft and gentle warmth radiating from it.

"Primus?" The Autobot Leader asked, and his voice never sounded so full of amazement and uncertainty. He even missed the fact the voice had spoken to him in Cybertronian, and he had replied in english. But it seemed that whoever it was who had spoken, languages were not an issue for him.

"**Indeed, my children."**

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Tarantulas, you just love to invade other people's personal space, don't you? I think this is my favourite chapter so far. I put a lot of effort into the dialogs and interactions, and I think it turned out quite fine. What do you think? And Tarantulas betrayal, yes, it was somewhat foreseeable, I admit that. But I love to write him, he is really fun. He is the kind of antagonist that doesn't need to go over there eviscerating people to prove his points. What really amuses him is to be plain cruel, making his foes psycologically suffer. He is a master of terror and he revels in other people's horror.

And Starscream's brief panic attack and how Megatron puts him back in place... hell, this isn't a true TF fanfic if they don't argue!

And Vector Sigma is now clean of the corruption!

Let me know your thoughts!

EDIT: Uploaded again. Revised and corrected by RevieWriter (05/06/2012).


	25. Lies

**[A/N]: Fair warning:** Maybe this chapter should have its rating risen a little higher because things turn a bit graphic near the end.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 25: Lies<span>

Tarantulas watched the control terminal in barely suppressed glee as his small cruiser made its way towards his destiny.

Unicron had warned him that the Requiem Blaster was one of the few things that could harm him, so, in order to ensure his victory, he needed to retrieve it. But to accomplish that task, he would need a human.

So, he had waited, biding his time. That was not an issue. He was a very patient mech. And while he waited, he listened.

Anything that happened to come across the Grid (the Cybertronian equivalent of the Internet) or airwaves on Cybertron was hardly a secret for him. And since their recent victory on Earth and their retirement to their home planet, the Decepticons had been cheerfully exchanging comments and data about the human race. Some of them had taken a liking to human entertainments. Others found them disgusting. Others just didn't care. But when word had reached him about the Air Commander's pet, it had perked up his interest, and he had begun to thread his strategy very carefully.

His plans had slowly started to come into fruition. And when the group of Autobots and Decepticons had crossed into his domain, he knew that it was the moment to go into action.

He didn't know exactly why that varied group had embarked on a trip to the depths of Cybertron, but one thing was evident. They were headed for Vector Sigma.

What a lovely coincidence.

It probably had something to do with Cybertron's poor performance, caused by the corruption of Unicron's essence. They probably wanted to fix it. Well, he gladly decided to help them get rid of the source of the problem. It wasn't like they were going to live to enjoy it much longer anyway.

But first things first.

And right now, he needed to take possession of the only thing that could pose an immediate threat to his plans. The destruction of the Universe could wait a while longer.

Smirking inwardly, he turned to glance at the human female, seeking a pastime to entertain himself before they reached their destination. She stood silently at the opposite end of the bridge. As far as she could manage without being out of his line of sight. She had been idly staring at the windows, her gaze lost, but she snapped into attention as he turned to look at her, her stance stiffening.

"You are not very talkative, are you?"

Eleonor shook her head, her gaze fixated on the spider.

Tarantulas chuckled for himself as he left the terminals and approached the human, stopping only when he was few centimeters from her. Eleonor pressed herself against the wall, a shiver running up her spine.

"I would like to tell you not to be afraid... but the fear radiating from you is just too enjoyable." He purred, caressing the side of her cheek with a pedipalp, gently moving her hair out of her face. "But don't worry, I don't wish to kill you... _yet_. I need your help with something first."

"And then you'll kill me." Eleonor whispered, more a statement than a question, as she looked away.

"Probably." He replied calmly. "Though I have not decided how I am going to do it yet." He replied, back to his mind games. "I accept suggestions... do you want it quick? Slow? Painless? Agonizing?" He purred, long sharp chelicera hovering over her exposed neck. Eleonor gulped hard, trying to control her panic. She knew his game. She knew he enjoyed to sow fear in other people's hearts. She didn't want to give him that pleasure.

"They'll find you." She whispered, plucking up enough courage to reply. "And when they do, they will stop you."

Tarantulas chuckled, not worried at all by that unlikely outcome.

"Still thinking of your Cybertronian friends, aren't you?" He recoiled slightly to look at her better. "Why do you even bother? It's not like they are going to risk their lives for a human. Come on, you are not even going to live more than a vorn, why go through all that trouble?" He laughed cruelly.

Eleonor bit back a whimper, her eyes shining with contained tears. 'He just wants to taunt you. Don't fall into his game.' She repeated to herself.

But Tarantulas caught sight of the gesture and her shining eyes.

"Oh, this is priceless. Don't tell me I managed to make you cry?" He laughed. "And here I was, disappointed because you weren't running in panic, screaming and trying to hide from me. I have found the weak spot in the calm and restrained little scientist."

"No!" She snapped back, willing her body to remain strong. But Tarantulas now had now the right ammunition and knew in what direction to shoot.

"Don't flatter yourself. You are just a replaceable, temporal pet." He continued, his voice cold. "And don't think I haven't noticed how you look at Starscream. You seem quite... _attached_to him."

"Shut up!" She hissed, sliding to the floor and hugging her knees, tears finally escaping her eyes. "..._Please_."

"You are beautiful when you cry." He purred sweetly. "I think I'll keep you alive a little longer. At least until I tear your friends apart and snuff out their sparks." He whispered, flattening his spider body to the floor to remain at her level, like a cat with a terrified mouse between his paws. "I can almost savour your pain, my dear. How delightful."

They were in silence for some minutes. Eleonor trying to regain her lost composure and dignity, while Tarantulas watched her closely, revelling in her broken state and her pitiful attempts to calm herself and focus.

"Why do you do this?" She asked after a while, when she had managed to calm down a little, looking back at him, sadness in her eyes. At least, she could try to understand his point of view.

"I have a penchant for psychological torture. You should be glad. I could be testing your bone's resistance to being crushed by now if I were some other kind of tasteless brute." He replied, with disinterest, making Eleonor cringe slightly.

"It's... good to know..." She said hesitantly. "...But I was referring to... all this. Siding with Unicron... those kind of things."

The spider chuckled quietly.

"I am going to be honest with you." He said, coming slightly closer, as if his next words were going to be a big secret. "Because I seek _power_. I want to be the most powerful being in this Universe. I didn't lie when I told you I was a scientist, but most of my experiments and researches were aimed at one single purpose: the improvement of my frame and weapons. That's how I ended up in this... hybrid body of mine." He gestured at himself. "How could I possibly turn down Unicron's offer? He offered me his very might and power. It was like a wish came true. Destroying everything in my path as the only requirement? It sounded fair to me. It's not like I am very fond of anything besides myself anyway. I despise this Universe as much as Unicron does, and I am going to enjoy its destruction too."

"But _why_?" She insisted, resolve shining briefly in her eyes. "Why choose to destroy instead of protect? There must be a reason."

"And why to protect instead of destroy? Doesn't that need a reason too?" He replied turning the table and the question back on her.

"Well... because it is the right thing to do." She replied, a little hesitantly.

"And who decides what is _right_ and what is _wrong_?" He insisted further. Eleonor went silent. She didn't have an answer for that. "You know _nothing_ of this Universe you live in, little dove. Right and wrong. Life and death. Light and darkness. Day and night. All of them are just different sides of the _same_coin. When you have lived as long as I have, you come to understand that all those concepts are superfluous and meaningless."

"But..."

"But _nothing_." Tarantulas cut her off. "Do you know how many species became extinct before your petty kind seized your insignificant planet? Ninety-nine per cent of them. Do you know how many stars die every year out there? More than you can count." He continued, his voice turning harsher. "See? Destruction is a constant feature across this Universe. In fact, if you were to side with the predominant tendency, you should be helping me right now."

"That's what makes life rare and precious." Eleonor could understand the mech's reasoning, but she didn't agree with him. "Valuable in every way."

Tarantulas snorted.

"All I have ever seen in my life is people trying to kill each other. And now, you come here and tell me that every life is precious. Well, tell that to your Autobot and Decepticon friends. They have the highest scores in casualties. Currently, even higher than me. Why don't you ask your beloved Starscream how many mechs have died at his own servos?"

"I know everyone has done terrible things. But they have changed. They are trying to make the right decisions now, and to fix what they can. You can change too."

At that, the spider burst in cruel laughter.

"You are naive little thing." He cooed, stroking her cheek again with a pedipalp. "But make no mistake. _This_is exactly what I want. To be the most powerful entity in this Universe, and seat in a throne of destruction. I don't need your petty attempts to change my mind or your compassion." He hissed dangerously. "No matter how many second chances you could give me, I would turn all them down. Every single one of them." He rose from the floor, returning to the control terminals of the ship. "Don't ever forget that."

Eleonor looked at the spider with apprehension. She was terrified of him. She feared for her own life, and even more for the lives of her friends if that mad mech managed to succeed in his task. But despite of all that, she couldn't help but feel a small pang of sadness for him.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this, Starscream?" Megatron asked, a very tiny hint of concern seeping into his otherwise stern tone. They were alone in one of the lower cargo bays of the Nemesis as it made its way through the outer layers of the atmosphere.<p>

"I have higher probabilities to go in undetected if I go alone. It would be wise to have the surprise factor playing in my favor, at least in the beginning. With only one enemy, Tarantulas' attacks will target only on me, relieving me of the duty of protecting other people. And I am good at taking care of myself." Starscream said, his gaze fixated on the closed doors of the bay, wings twitching in anticipation.

"You are good at planning strategies. But this one is very risky. More than usual." Megatron crossed his powerful arms above his chest-plates.

"Don't tell me you are worried about me." Starscream snorted, dedicating his Leader a sideways glance.

"Of course not. You are a real pain in the aft." The Decepticon Leader frowned and glared at the seeker. "But looking for another Second in Command would be an undesirable nuisance." Megatron huffed, hot air coming out of his vents. "Not to mention that your failure would mean that the rest of our race and the fate of the Universe would be in imminent danger. Let's not forget that either."

"Well, it's not like I am going unarmed this time." Starscream turned to glare again at some distant point beyond the cargo bay's doors. Sending a wireless ping, they started to slide open, wind rushing in, creating turbulence inside the cargo hold. "And if things start to fall apart, you get to be plan B."

And with that, Starscream walked towards the exit, stopping at the border to glance at his Leader one last time, a confident smirk flashing across his features before letting himself fall into the void.

Megatron watched as Starscream transformed in mid-air and rocketed towards his destiny at impossible speeds.

"I hate plan B." He growled, closing the doors and heading back to the main bridge.

* * *

><p>The small cruiser had landed right in front of the entrance to the golden cavern.<p>

"Well, someone has saved me the trouble of unearthing this place." Tarantulas chuckled for himself as he transformed into mech form. He truly enjoyed spending most of the time in his alternate mode. This gave Eleonor a moment to study his form closer. He was approximately the same height as Ratchet. He had a visor and mandibles at each side of his mouth, similar to Shockwave. His body seemed balanced between strength and agility, he wasn't too sturdy or too slender. His servos ended in dangerous-looking claws and the transformation left the spider-legs on his back.

Then Eleonor noticed what he had just said, he was expecting to have to unearth the cave. He didn't know that she had been here before. That Megatron and his team knew this place too.

Tarantulas was very smart and had been listening keenly to the Grid and airwaves on Cybertron. He knew a lot of things. But this, he didn't know.

Eleonor thought briefly of Soundwave. All of Starscream's exploration missions were directly monitored by him and probably encrypted by him too. And Tarantulas was smart but he was not a skilled hacker. He didn't know that they knew.

She silently prayed to Primus (the only God she was currently willing to believe in) that Starscream had been able to find her pendant and now was on his way here. Tarantulas would probably be caught off-guard. He truly was not expecting anyone to know this place or follow him there after a space-warp.

The soft whirl of gears and metal plates shifting pulled Eleonor from her thoughts and she glanced at the mech just in time to see him bare his spark to open the door. He seemed to know exactly what to do. She wondered briefly if Unicron had provided him with that knowledge.

The second thing that attracted her attention was his spark. It glowed dark and purple, faint arcs of energy swirling around it. Very different from Starscream's, which was a vibrant pale blue.

"Let's go." He ordered without even raising his tone.

Eleonor decided to play dumb and try to slow him down as much as she could without raising suspicion.

"W-where are we going?" She said, hesitantly, as she entered the golden corridor, trying to look anxious, which wasn't very difficult.

"You'll see soon enough." He almost purred as he walked down the corridors. Eleonor walked deliberately slowly, pausing as if to look at the carvings across the walls. "Don't make me put a leash on you. You know I can." He warned, getting impatient.

The young woman gulped. Yes, Tarantulas certainly could do that very easily.

They continued walking until they arrived in the second room. The one that needed a human to be opened.

"Place your hand upon that mark." He instructed.

Eleonor hesitated. If she did as she was told, Tarantulas would win. But if she didn't comply...

"Go on. It is not going to harm you, I promise." He encouraged her, his tone falsely kind. "_I_on the contrary..." He left the end of the sentence hanging in the air as he flickered his claws menacingly.

"I... I don't want to..."

"You have been a good and obedient little girl until now, and I have treated you kindly." Tarantulas crouched to lean closer. "I am sure you don't want to make things change now, do you?" He gave her a not-so-gentle shove with the back of a claw, to make her move towards the mark on the wall.

Eleonor bit her lower lip. It was useless. She either obeyed, or he made her obey.

"I am so sorry..." She whispered mainly for herself as she placed her hand upon the symbol.

As it had done the first two times she had visited that place, the lines and drawings carved on the wall glowed and pulsed, and after that, the panels shifted and changed positions, revealing the door to the corridor that led to the last chamber, where the Covenant of Primus was written across the walls.

Tarantulas laughed cruelly, and stepped in.

"Let's go inside." He said casually, and she knew it was an order.

The huge chamber was exactly as she remembered. Spacious and golden. Empty, except for the carvings.

Tarantulas walked towards the center of the room. There was another circular drawing on the floor. This one had two smaller marks at opposite sides, one of them significantly smaller than the other. Eleonor had not noticed that drawing during her previous visit.

"Stand here." He ordered, his raspy voice edged with anticipation as he tapped the smaller mark with a claw.

Eleonor hated herself, but she had no option. Slowly, she stepped inside the symbol, and Tarantulas did the same on the opposite side. As soon as they were in place, the big circular drawing started to glow. Eleonor could only imagine what it guarded.

Heavy metal panels on the floor shifted and retracted, leaving room for a new structure that rose slowly, also shifting and opening in a mesmerizing way, halfway between a camera shutter and an earth flower.

But what the metallic 'petals' revealed was nothing beautiful or harmless. It was...

"The Requiem Blaster!" Tarantulas exclaimed gleefully.

He reached with his right servo, and picked up the huge weapon that seemed to be made from the same indestructible and golden material as the chambers. The cannon shifted in his grasp, changing its shape and size slightly until it fused elegantly with his own armor-plates.

"Ah, a perfect fit." He purred, weighting his new weapon as he chuckled. Eleonor felt pure dread seizing her heart, realizing in sheer terror that Tarantulas needed her no longer.

Suddenly, a brief flash of orange light crossed the room and impacted right into the spider-like mech's chest, cutting off his laughter and making him recoil, rising his free arm to cover his chest..

"I think it makes you look _fat_." A very familiar voice could be heard coming from the entrance.

"Starscream!" Eleonor whispered, turning in time to see the beige seeker shooting a second blast with his null-ray gun straight at the spider-mech's chest.

Tarantulas let out another cruel laugh and dusted himself off, moving his free arm and revealing his intact chest-plates.

"I am sorry to disappoint, but the power of Unicron has grown stronger since we last met. It runs through my lines and protects me. I am invincible now." He said, with confidence.

"I had to try." Starscream shrugged, and his optics drifted briefly to Eleonor, who was paralysed by fear, looking back and forth between the two adversaries. Fortunately, she seemed to take the hint, and carefully retreated to hide as best as she could under the open 'petals' of the central structure in the room.

"My turn then." Tarantulas purred, and turned his weapon to aim at the seeker. The muzzle glowed golden for a brief second before shooting a searing-white blast to his enemy.

Starscream moved incredibly fast for a mech of his size and build, using the thrusters on his back to give him an extra boost of speed.

"Has anyone told you that your aim is crap, Tarantulas?" The seeker even had the gall to mock him.

"Has anyone told you how much of a nuisance you are, Starscream?" Tarantulas sneered, aiming his new weapon and shooting again.

"Oh, you have no idea. Almost every day. Megatron usually describes me as a 'pain in the aft', actually." Starscream replied, shooting another useless series of blasts.

"Then he won't mind it if I use you as target practice, right? He rids himself of a nuisance and I get to improve my aim with my brand new _Requiem Blaster_." He shot again, and this time he managed to grace one of the seeker's wings. "Oh, look at that. I am already getting better."

"The Requiem Blaster?" The seeker decided to play dumb. "Are you telling me that that _slingshot_is the Requiem Blaster, the legendary weapon that could level mountains with a single shot?"

"Don't be a fool, Starscream. I am not using it at full power. This room is too small to unleash such power and I have no desire of annihilating myself with you."

"Frag. There goes my plan B." Starscream grunted, as he barely dodged another shot. He kept himself near the walls of the chamber, putting the maximum distance between him and Tarantulas, to gain some brief astro-seconds to dodge.

"Besides, what would be the fun in killing you so quickly, when I can do it excruciatingly slowly and painfully?"

Tarantulas shot again, and this time, Starscream fell to the floor with a loud crash, holding his right side with his left arm. The last shot had pierced cleanly through his flank and wing.

Eleonor let out a terrified scream when she saw the seeker fall.

"Scrap, that hurt." Starscream whispered, wincing in pain as his damaged wiring sparkled, energon pouring onto the floor.

"Seriously, Starscream." Tarantulas said, savouring the impending victory. "How could you step so low as to risk your life for a lowly human?"

"I am not doing this for her, you eight-legged idiot." Starscream huffed, pain evident in his tone as much as he tried to hide it. His wings trembled slightly, a clear symptom that he was in a lot of pain. "I do this for everyone. Because we need to stop you at all costs."

"And Megatron lets you go alone and without a proper strategy to hunt me down?" Tarantulas sneered. Now that the seeker was on the floor, he seemed more keen in verbally mocking him and prolong his agony before finishing him off.

"Well, as you may know, I have some discipline _issues_." The seeker managed to flash him a pained smirk. "Besides, Megatron's alt-mode is _agonizingly_slow."

"Poor stupid seeker." Tarantulas said with mock pity. "This is going to be a merciful kill." He said calmly, as he rose the Requiem Blaster to point at the damaged mech.

"NO!" Eleonor screamed, tears running down her cheeks.

"Ah, are you still there, little dove? Do not go too far." Tarantulas purred, and then he focused his attention back to the seeker. "I am going to make her watch as I extinguish every single one of her friends." He said, his voice as sweet as cruel. Starscream growled and narrowed his optics defiantly. "Starting with you, her heroic knight in shining armor." He chuckled.

At that instant, several things happened almost simultaneously, as if in slow motion.

Tarantulas aimed the Requiem Blaster, shooting a blast straight at the seeker's chest.

Eleonor screamed in terror, feeling helpless.

And Starscream rose his left arm in the last possible moment, the plates in his forearm shifting and expanding to morph into some kind of shield.

The energy blast from the Requiem Blaster hit the shield and ricocheted back without even leaving a scorch mark.

After bouncing back, the blast flew straight into Tarantulas chest, who couldn't dodge in time.

The searing-white blast impacted with the spider-like mech, and he collapsed onto the floor, howling in agony. He could feel the burning heat of the shot, spreading through his circuits, cauterizing and purging his systems from the unholy power of Unicron.

The Requiem Blaster was, indeed, designed to destroy the Unmaker and any trace of his tainted essence.

Eleonor stared in disbelief at the seeker, who was now raising shakily to his feet. He held a huge golden shield with bright blue edges firmly in front of himself.

"No... No!" Tarantulas howled in disbelief, his frame convulsing on the floor, energon gushing from the fatal wound and from his mouth-pieces. He felt the power of Unicron disappearing, leaving him weakened and dying. "This... is _not_over yet!" He managed to say, and with his last strength he pointed the Blaster in Eleonor's direction.

But he didn't get the chance to shoot, because a quick blast from Starscream's null-ray severed his arm completely.

"I can agree with you in that point." The seeker said approaching to the other mech. "This is _far_from over." He added, his voice lowered to a menacing hiss. He arrived next to the fallen mech, and placed a foot above his chest, talons sinking into the already damaged metal and wires. He diverted his attention briefly to Eleonor, who was in shock, kneeling on the floor. "Eleonor, are you alright?"

"I... I... yes." She stuttered, barely coming out of her shock.

"Good. Wait for me in the previous chamber." He ordered, his voice stern and dangerous. "And _do not_come back." He added slowly, in a tone that made her blood freeze.

Eleonor nodded quickly and stood, her legs trembling slightly as she made her way towards the exit.

"Now..." Starscream murmured, turning his attention back to the mech beneath him. "...I think you and I have unfinished business..." He said, as he turned the other mech around so that he was facing the floor. Unsheathing the combat claws he carried in his forearm, Starscream pierced through Tarantulas remaining arm , twisting the blades slowly.

"I... thought that you were above... these things now, Starscream..." Tarantulas managed to say, biting back the cries of agony that threatened to escape his vocalizer.

"If I recall it correctly, I promised to you that I would pull out your limbs one by one... _All of them_. And I keep my promises." Starscream placed a foot on the spider-like mech's shoulder to keep it in place, and grabbed hold of the arm, slowly pulling back until the metal started to give away and the cables snapped with a sickening sound. This time, Tarantulas couldn't help the agonizing cry that tore through his throat. Starscream growled with satisfaction.

"You... you are doing this... for a lowly human?"

"You still think this is for her?" The seeker hissed with amusement, releasing the useless limb and taking hold of two of the spider legs in Tarantulas' back. "Don't be a fool. If she were here she would probably be _begging_ me to stop. _Imploring_ me to have mercy on you. She is a kind and compassionate little creature. _Unlike me_." He gave a low chuckle. "No, Tarantulas. I am doing this _for me_." He said, his voice cold, and for the first time in many eons, Tarantulas felt fear seeping into his faltering spark.

Starscream pulled slowly on the spider-legs he had grabbed, making his victim howl in pain. He smirked wickedly, realizing that those appendages were particularly sensitive. The seeker moved his foot from the shoulder to the spider-like mech's back, sinking his talons deeper, gouging the already damaged spark-casing of the other mech. Tarantulas' HUD fading into static from the sensory disarray, the damage reports turning less and less coherent, the pain becoming unbearable.

"S-shouldn't you be t-tending to that w-wound?" The spider-like mech managed to ask, wishing for a quick end. He was going to die soon because of the energon loss, and his spark-containment was failing.

"Your concern is very much appreciated." Starscream replied. "But I still have some breems before the energon loss reaches dangerous levels. And I intend to enjoy them as much as I can." He grabbed another pair of legs and crouched until he was practically whispering into the other mech's audio receptors. "So, I suggest you to get comfortable and... _scream for me_."

"W-when did it.. all go so wrong?" Tarantulas asked, his voice barely audible as he was choking in his own energon.

"The moment you thought you could outsmart me."

* * *

><p>Eleonor was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, her back against the wall, waiting for Starscream to come back for her. Tarantulas blood-curling screams had stopped a while ago, but the seeker had not arrived yet.<p>

She wondered briefly if he was mad at her. When he had ordered her to wait for him, his voice had been so... cold. It had been enough to send shivers down her spine, and she had never been afraid of the seeker. At least, not in a long time.

She had been in mortal danger two times in a row. Maybe he had gotten tired of rescuing her. Maybe he had decided that it was best for everyone that she remained on Earth.

And she wouldn't contradict him if he decided to do that, because she could perfectly understand the logic. As Tarantulas had said, she was a liability.

"Eleonor?" Starscream voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Eleonor looked back at the seeker, taking in his injuries and the energon splashed across his frame, a lot of which wasn't his.

Starscream, for his part, was looking back at her with honest concern written on his face-plates.

They remained in silence for several long seconds, studying each other, trying to mutually decipher the others thoughts.

"You are not tired of having to rescue me, are you?" She finally asked, her voice quivering.

Starscream's gaze softened, realizing why his human was upset.

"No." He replied simply, slowly lowering a servo for her. She climbed on without hesitation. "And you, are you tired of following me around and been in danger?"

"No." She shook her head.

Starscream held her close to his chest with one servo. In the other one he carried the Requiem Blaster. He limped slightly, and his damaged flank still leaked precious fluids that streaked down his armor.

"You are hurt." She whispered.

"It's nothing. I'll be fine. It doesn't even hurt any longer." He said reassuringly.

"You are a horrible liar."

Starscream smirked, and tried not to pay attention to his screaming pain receptors and the warnings flooding his HUD. Primus, he was so relieved to see her safe. He focused in her soft and warm presence, leaning against his chest-plates, her body trembling slightly.

"You are crying." He said, more a statement than a question.

"No. I am a tough woman. I do not cry." She breathed against his armor.

"You lie worse than me."

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Tarantulas, you had it coming. And sorry if his demise was a little bit explicit (Should I put a warning? Rise the rating for torture? ...Do I worry too much?) but you must understand the Starscream was royally pissed off. And he may have changed, but he is still a Decepticon and capable of cruel things. The only difference is that now he directs his killer instincts towards something a little more correct.

And about the shield that Starscream used, and what happened with Vector Sigma, Primus, etc. All will be explained in the next chapter. This one has been shorter than usual, but if I started with the explanations it would had been too long. So, I decided to split them, and leave this one with only the rescue part.

And I hated Eleonor in the 'damsel in distress' role, it seemed like a kind of a mary-sue thing to do. But, oh well. She has already had her moments of scientific badassery, and there will be more in the future. She can be useful.

**PD:** Thanks to RevieWriter for beta-reading this :)


	26. Team work

Chapter 26: Team work

Eleonor woke up to a loud crackling noise and a flash of purple.

"Sweet Primus, Skywarp!" She exclaimed, propping herself up on her elbows. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

The black seeker just laughed in amusement, taking a seat on the floor next to her bed.

"But this base is soooo boring! There are only mining drones and research equipment stored in the rooms, along with some ore supplies. I can't pull a proper prank with those resources! The boredom is killing me!"

"Why don't you go outside? This planet is beautiful." She suggested, running her fingers through her hair, trying to untangle some of the knots.

"Because Knock Out says I shouldn't be flying yet, and I don't feel like walking." The seeker pouted childishly.

"And the rest of the crew?" She asked.

Skywarp let out a long-suffering sigh through his vents.

"Megatron said that if he had to hear my whining for a klik longer, he would personally reformat me into a toaster." He confessed, still sulking.

"So, you came here to wake me up instead." Eleonor tried to frown, but she couldn't. Not with the big and fearsome black seeker pouting like a five-year-old. Besides, she knew how seekers could be when they were deprived of flight for some time. That reminded her of Starscream. The beige seeker had collapsed onto the ground almost immediately after leaving her in Skywarp's care and the Requiem Blaster in Megatron's custody. Ratchet and Knock Out had been instantly on him. The seeker had entered stasis lock due to energon loss, but the medics had assured that it was not life-threatening, and he was now recovering in the med-bay.

"Yep." Skywarp admitted, shamelessly.

Eleonor sighed, giving a hint of a smile. She felt rested enough anyway, and she could use the occasion to check on Starscream.

"Just one more thing." She said, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "You could have used the _door_, you know. It's not locked."

"Door? What's a _door_?" He asked flippantly, and quickly ducked out of the way of Eleonor's incoming pillow.

* * *

><p>Starscream was uncomfortable. Annoyed and uncomfortable. Lying on his ventral plates, his back and wings exposed and vulnerable... it was an unnatural and plain disgraceful position to be in for a seeker. However, it was necessary for his repairs. So, sighing for the umpteenth time that afternoon, he tried to relax and endure the annoying, but necessary torture.<p>

"You should have replaced that joint before rewiring the sensor cluster above it." Ratchet pointed out, stopping in the middle of his own task, using the wrench he had in his servo at that moment to point at said joint.

"And surely you know more about winged mechs than me." Knock Out replied, mildly offended.

"We also have the Aerialbots, just so you know." The Autobot deadpanned.

"Aerialbots. Not _seekers_." The Decepticon replied, holding up a single servo. "There are differences."

Starscream groaned, feeling indignant and mistreated, but resisted the urge to complain. He was exhausted, injured and still low on energon. There was no need to add 'hit by a wrench' to his list of miseries. Besides, admitting how weak and abused he felt wasn't in his plans either. He had a reputation to maintain. Instead, he gave Thundercracker, the last mech in the med-bay, a long suffering look.

The blue seeker sent a small pulse of reassurance through their trine-bond. He had expressly came to the med-bay to keep his trine-leader's company. Neither he, nor Starscream were prone to public displays of affection, but after all they had been through in the past few hours, he felt the necessity of being near his trine-mate to, at least, offer him some comfort with his presence.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

And Skywarp entered.

Thundercracker arched an optic ridge.

"Skywarp. Using. A door." The blue seeker mused aloud.

"Don't worry, I have the moment recorded for posterity." Starscream replied quietly, with a tired smirk. "I am going to use that video clip to wake me up from recharge every morning."

Skywarp grinned widely, impervious to his brothers' state of shock.

"I told you. Doors don't hurt." Eleonor piped in.

"Unless you slam into them." The black seeker pointed out and crouched to pick the woman up, leaving her on a nearby table. "Just in case, I am going to refrain from using them in the future." He continued jokingly, his grin never fading.

"I swear to Primus, Skywarp, if you ever pop into my med-bay while I am performing a delicate repair, I will throw a wrench at you so hard it will fuse with your helm, elite seeker or not." Ratchet said, angered at the mere thought.

The black seeker snickered for a while, not worried at all by the Autobot medic's promises of death.

"How are you feeling, Starscream?" Eleonor finally asked, when Skywarp's giggles subsided, which took a while.

"Fine." He replied simply, with a very faint shrug, but judging from his dimmed optics, his defeated aura and his low voice, Eleonor could tell it was not quite the truth.

"Fine?" Knock Out exclaimed, a devious smirk adorning his face-plates. "I must be doing something wrong then." He said, setting in place a reconstructed piece of armor with unnecessary force.

Starscream murmured something under his breath that sounded similar to 'frag you' and let his helm fall onto his forearms, claws sinking into the berth beneath him.

Thundercracker shook his helm in amusement and turned his attention to Eleonor, who was taking a seat near the corner of the table, her legs dangling off the edge.

"You look better now too." He said.

"Yeah, some good hours of sleep and a good meal do wonders." She replied with a thumbs up and a happy smile. "It has been... difficult lately." She added, her mind drifting into the past few days and their events and dangers.

"I am just happy that everyone is alright." Ratchet sighed, his tone sober.

"Excuse me, I beg to differ." Starscream groaned, feeling ignored.

"With all due respect, _Commander_, you have been shot with the very Requiem Blaster and you are now joking with your trine-mates." Knock Out pointed out, closing the last armor panels in the repaired area. "I believe you should be happy just with that."

The beige seeker smirked to himself and straightened on the berth, now that his repairs were complete. He felt the usual stiffness and numbed pain receptors in the replaced parts. His flank still ached faintly and his repaired wing felt foreign. He definitely wasn't flying anytime soon.

"Well, am I discharged from medical care?" Starscream asked, flexing his wings and wincing slightly when the new joints protested.

"Yes, but take it easy." Ratchet replied, and the beige seeker replied with a sly grin. "Seriously, Starscream. If I have to put you back together one more time..." He left the end of the sentence hanging in the air, shaking his wrench at the seeker in silent threat.

"Excellent." Starscream ignored the Autobot medic's withering glare. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to report back to Lord Megatron." He said, hopping from the berth to the floor in a poorly elegant fashion. "And you too." He added, offering a servo to Eleonor to stand upon. "He also has requested your presence."

"M-me?" Eleonor blinked a few times in disbelief before sitting on the seeker's open palm.

The Air Commander had not yet given a step when Thundercracker stopped him.

"Starscream..." He hummed, and his trine-leader looked back at him, questioningly. The blue seeker was idly balancing an energon cube between two claws.

"Oh, I could certainly use that." The beige seeker flashed his trine-mate a grateful grin and snatched the cube from his servos. "See you later." He called over his shoulder-plates before exiting the med-bay.

"Primus, does he ever rest?" Ratchet murmured.

"Starscream?" Thundercracker let out a soft chuckle. "Hardly ever. And even when he rests, he is plotting something in that devious processor of his."

* * *

><p>Starscream walked down the corridor, headed to one of the modest conference rooms that this base was equipped with. Quickly downing the energon cube, he placed the empty container on a nearby shelf.<p>

Eleonor was lost in her thoughts. Why had Megatron summoned her? Sure, the Decepticon Leader had been permissive with her presence, mainly because Starscream took care of her and she tried not to be a nuisance for anyone else. But Megatron was usually reluctant to directly speak to her. Yes, he had done it a couple of times, but not so openly as the rest of his troops. Eleonor supposed that it had to do with the fact that he still disliked humans. After all, he had been imprisoned in ice and dissected by them not so long ago.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the seeker extracted something small from subspace and left it in front of her.

"You forgot that in the cave." He said, a smirk in his tone. Eleonor looked back at him and met his gaze. He winked an optic.

"I must had accidentally dropped it." She replied, picking up the pendant and putting it back on.

Starscream stopped a brief moment to compose himself, assuming a formal stance, his wings, though freshly repaired and still aching, straightened proudly behind his back. Then, he sent a ping to the doors and they opened immediately with a whoosh.

Inside the small room, Megatron and Optimus were at a big, round table with an holographic projector that was displaying several space coordinates. Shockwave and Ironhide were sitting beside their respective leaders, the cyclops mech with a datapad in his servo, and the weapons specialist paying attention to the space representation while he frowned. The last mechs in the room were Alpha Trion and another mech that Eleonor didn't recognize. They were speaking quietly, and the Librarian had a gentle smile permanently attached to his old features.

"Lord Megatron." The seeker saluted, more respectfully than he normally did.

"It's good to see you again in one piece..." The Decepticon Leader said, turning his attention to the new arrivals. Then, his gaze drifted to the small human seated in Starscream's servo, "...and your... assistant too." Eleonor nodded in acknowledgement with a grateful smile.

Starscream took a seat next to Shockwave, and left his human on the table, between his servos, as he usually did.

Taking the floor, Optimus cleared his vocalizer before speaking in his deep baritone voice.

"Today we have accomplished great feats. Tarantulas has been destroyed, along with the fragment of Unicron that was corrupting Vector Sigma and oppressing Cybertron's functionality." He began, his tone sober. "We have gotten back Omega Supreme and Chaindrive." He glanced to the new mech and bowed his helm respectfully. "And we have recovered the Requiem Blaster and the first fragment of the Star Saber, along with the coordinates of the other pieces." He paused a moment to let that sink.

Eleonor looked to the new mech. Chaindrive. His armor design was similar to the Librarian's, but he was slightly bigger and bulkier. She didn't know where he come from yet, but she wasn't about to interrupt the meeting. She decided to leave her questions for later.

"What we have achieved today is proof that we can put aside our past differences and work together, not as Autobots or Decepticons, but as Cybertronians." He continued, his voice filled with pride. "I reflect on the events of these past few days, and I can see a future full of potential. We were meant to do great things." He said, looking at everyone around him. "For some time we walked different paths, but now we can advance towards a common goal."

"Megatron." Optimus called on his Decepticon counterpart. "You requested my assistance in this task, and I have helped you." He stated, and the silver mech nodded solemnly and gratefully. "I am aware that our agreement ended here, but I wish to suggest you something else." He said, and waited for the Decepticon Leader to acknowledge his words.

"What do you have in mind?" The silver mech asked, a little suspicious.

"There are four fragments of the Star Saber that still need to be found." Optimus continued. "That is a tedious task, even for you." He gave a long dramatic pause. "_Let us help_."

Megatron looked incredulously at the Autobot Leader, his optics wide.

"That small fragment of Unicron was dealt with, but I fear that its destruction might have stirred the real Unicron from wherever he is now. We may be running out of time." Optimus explained, concern in his tone. "Both the Ark and the Nemesis are capable of long-range space-warping. Working together we can recover the pieces of the Star Saber in half the time it would take for only one ship."

The silver mech looked intently into the Autobot's azure gaze, and then to the coordinates displayed in the holographic projector. Optimus had a point.

"I trust you, Optimus." Megatron said, his tone unusually quiet. "It may sound odd to you after all this time, but I know you are trustworthy." He paused. "However, I am not so sure when it comes to your troops."

"If it is any consolation to you, the same happens to me with some of yours." Optimus offered a small smile.

The Decepticon Leader pondered everything for a long minute.

"I think this is a decision that you can't make alone. You should consult it with your highest ranking officers." Megatron looked briefly to the other mechs around them. "As I would like to." He added, glancing at Starscream and Shockwave.

"This is not a democracy." Starscream said flippantly, breaking the solemn aura of the meeting. "Just tell us what to do and we'll follow your command."

"And if our objectives don't agree, you reserve the right to desert later on, isn't it?" Megatron growled quietly and resisted the urge to shoot at his Second in Command.

"Exactly." Starscream smirked, but it was only for a brief moment, because Alpha Trion attacked with a swiftness that was unusual for a mech his age. _Clank_. "Ouch!"

"Respect your leaders." The Librarian said calmly.

Megatron couldn't hide his smirk as his Second hissed and rubbed his helm where the old prime had hit him.

"Optimus' offer may be risky, but it is also the most logical and efficient course of action in the current circumstances." Shockwave spoke, once the troublesome seeker had quieted. "Properly handled, with a reliable crew of carefully chosen mechs, this mission has greater chances of success." He stated. "I cannot speak for Soundwave, but I am sure that he would think like me. However, we can ask him later."

The Autobot Leader looked then at Ironhide.

"Well, if this has worked out today, I can't see why it couldn't work again." The weapons specialist said, still disbelieving his own words. "If I managed to swallow my pride in benefit of the greater good, anyone can do it."

Megatron drummed his claws briefly on the table, pondering everything for a few minutes and finally coming to a decision.

"As soon as the Ark is repaired and refueled, Optimus, you and your team will go back to Earth. Consult everything with your Second and Third in command, and report your decision back to me. We will set a quantum transmitter between the two ships to be in contact." He said, and Optimus knew that it was a great gesture of trust from the Decepticon Leader. With the Ark in Autobot possession again, nothing could stop them from going anywhere, even back to Cybertron in a hypothetical attempt to reconquest the planet. "In the meanwhile, we won't be idle either. We have work to do, crews to assemble and a ship to prepare."

The Autobot Leader nodded in agreement.

"We'll make this work, Megatron." Optimus said, his tone resolute.

The silver mech looked back to the other mechs at the table, still pondering things inwardly.

"You are all dismissed." He said, his tone regaining his commanding tone. "Except you." He added, pointing to Eleonor with a claw as his optics narrowed on her. The young woman stiffened and looked up at Starscream, who simply shrugged, offering her no clue about the Decepticon Leader's intentions.

The other mechs in the room stood up and left, including the seeker, who was smirking smugly.

Once they were alone, Megatron tapped a spot on the table right in front of him with a single claw. Taking the hint, Eleonor approached until she was standing directly in front of the fearsome Decepticon Leader. So far, the silver mech had been indifferent about her, and when he had needed something from her, he had requested it via Starscream. However, this time Megatron wanted to directly address her. That made Eleonor a little nervous.

The silver mech regarded her for a long minute, pondering his words before speaking, while the young woman shifted uneasily in her spot, a little intimidated by the mech's piercing ruby optics.

"I have been very... _lenient_ with you during all this time." He finally spoke. "That, coming from a mech like me is something to be grateful for." She nodded in understanding. Megatron was not the Leader of the Decepticons precisely for his kindness. "When Starscream first came to me with the request of bringing you here, I was against it." He made a pause, looking away, recalling the moment from his memory drives. "A lowly human on Cybertron? It felt like an insult at that moment." He turned to look at her. "But then again, my Second can be very stubborn, and you have never caused us any problem. Quite the opposite, you had been very helpful to us in the past, so, I finally agreed to the idea."

Megatron paused and clasped his servos together, scanning her with his gaze one more time.

"You are tiny and fragile, without combat training. You seem so out of place here... Yet, you succeed at making yourself unexpectedly useful in a variety of situations, but today was the last straw. We could still be looking for Tarantulas if it had not been for the clue you left behind." He stopped again. Eleonor nodded, grateful for the unspoken compliment at her actions. "However, this whole mess was not part of the plans. You have been dragged into a fight that you are poorly prepared for. I wouldn't usually care about it, but in consideration of your previous deeds, I am going to ask you, and consider this a great honor because I don't even give my own soldiers many choices." He paused for a moment to let his words sink in. "This isn't a game. This is not about staying safely in a laboratory. This is about stopping the very Chaos Bringer, and many lives are at stake... Do you still wish to help us?" He finally asked, his voice heavy with seriousness.

Eleonor didn't even had to think about it.

"With all my heart, Lord Megatron." She replied respectfully, her eyes shining with resolve as she looked right into the Decepticon's ruby optics. "I know I'm not strong like the rest of your troops. But I can be useful with other matters and I really want to help. As Alpha Trion said some days ago, Unicron's existence threatens not only your kind, but any other living creature in the Universe. I feel it's my responsibility too." She explained. "So, if you think there's any way I can help, I'll be glad to do it. I _really_ want to help." She added, humbly.

Megatron smirked, pleased by the small human. He didn't believe it possible, but there he was, feeling something similar to what Optimus may have felt when the human boy had risked his life to save the Autobot Leader.

"Then, as long as you continue to function, you shall be considered a member of my crew, and you shall abide by the same rules as my other mechs." The Decepticon Leader said, solemnly, his servos clasped behind his back.

Eleonor's eyes widened. Megatron's words implied that she would be treated like an equal. It literally was a promotion from pet (sometimes assistant) to an officially recognized ally of the Decepticon cause. The Lord and Master of the Decepticons had deemed her worthy of that honor.

"I...I am honored, Lord Megatron." She said, with a curtsey. "I'll do my best. You won't be disappointed." She said a little embarrassed, not knowing exactly what to do in that kind of situation. Not among humans, even less among Cybertronians.

"A simple 'I live to serve' would have been enough." He smirked, perceiving the woman's embarrassment and hesitation.

"_I live to serve._" She replied, meaning every word of the sentence.

"Good." Megatron hummed, his optics brightening with that characteristic evil gleam of his. "Do not become a liability and I won't have to terminate you." Of course, the evil Leader of the Decepticons wasn't going to let her leave without a death threat.

"I won't." She replied, resolve radiating from her form. "Though I must admit that travelling to other galaxies may be an issue considering my... _organic nature_." She mused aloud.

"That may not be such a grave issue." He said, with a knowing smirk. "Now, go and talk with Starscream and Shockwave. They have something to show you."

* * *

><p>A while later, Eleonor was standing on a desk in the familiar laboratory of the base. Starscream and Shockwave loomed over her, the seeker with a pleased grin and the cyclops mech typing something into a datapad.<p>

"Are you... going to tell me or not?" Eleonor was getting uncomfortable with the long silence.

Starscream chuckled softly before speaking.

"The Nemesis was already low on energon after the battle with Omega Supreme, and the urgent warp to this planet left its last reserves almost depleted." Starscream began. "The good news are that the photosynthetic solar panels we installed three years ago still work."

"The algae survived all that time in stasis?"

"Yes. The energon productivity is still a little low because the algae are still 'warming up', but it is increasing. It's fortunate that this planet's oceans also have similar composition to Earth ones. We just had to dump the ship into the sea and open the panels to revive them." The seeker explained. "However, we are going to be stranded here for a couple of days until the tanks fully fill up." He said. "But Shockwave and I have found an interesting project to pass our time while we wait."

At that, the cyclops mech left the datapad on the table and pressed a button. An holographic projection appeared above the device, spinning slowly so that it could be seen from every angle. It looked like some kind of robot with blatantly feminine shapes.

"What is this?" Eleonor asked tilting her head in confusion.

"An _exo-suit_. For you." Shockwave replied, his tone deep and calm. "It will protect you from open space conditions and dangerous atmospheres carrying its own-long duration air supply. It will also adapt to different gravitational conditions as well as providing you with a tougher protective shell." He explained. "You still won't be as tough as we Cybertronians, but you will be less... _squishable_ and it will provide you with a longer autonomy."

Eleonor's jaw dropped in utter amazement, lost for words.

"What do you think?" Starscream asked.

"I-I don't know what to say. That's just plain amazing! I can't wait to try it out! Thanks!" She exclaimed, snapping out from her astonishment.

"Then, while Shockwave, who is the expert technician, works on the exo-suit, we are going to do investigate another matter." Starscream continued.

"What matter?" Eleonor looked back at him questioningly.

"Food." The seeker revealed. "Your food takes up too much space considering its true nutritional value, and the cooking process consumes a lot of time. I am sure we can come up with something more efficient, similar to the food the human astronauts consume in your ridiculous space stations. I bet we can even improve the formula." He tapped his chin-plates in a thoughtful gesture. "I am sure it won't be so tasty, but the pros are bigger than the cons. And everyone has to make little sacrifices from time to time."

"Eating the same insipid food everyday in exchange for being out there, discovering new galaxies and visiting places no human will ever dream of and helping you guys to save the Universe?" Eleonor smiled, her scientific nature taking hold of her. "Where do I have to sign?"

"That's the spirit." Starscream smirked.

"Sometimes I question your sanity, woman." Shockwave said, but there was a slight amusement in his tone.

"We are all crazy here." The seeker shrugged, his grin turning devious.

"Speak for you two."

* * *

><p><em>[The next day.]<em>

Eleonor was in the laboratory, her head propped on her hand as she idly read through some analysis results while she waited for the centrifuge to finish with the current sample. Starscream was mixing some chemicals and putting them in several test tubes, each of them with a different concentration. Shockwave was welding circuit boards. Eleonor had thought that the exo-suit was going to be just that, a _suit_. An armor. But the cyclops mech had made an uncharacteristic and mildly offended noise at the idea. 'There is so much more I can do,' he had said, and Eleonor had felt the smirk in his tone.

"So, now that we are calmer and there is no imminent doom looming above us..." She said, glancing up from the datapad. "May I ask what happened since Tarantulas kidnapped me? I think I've missed a lot."

Starscream frowned briefly, hating to remember the loathsome spider-like mech. Fortunately, he had gotten what he deserved, courtesy of the seeker.

"The corruption in the core of Vector Sigma disappeared when Tarantulas carried away the essence of Unicron within him, and..." He paused dramatically, still disbelieving the facts. "Once free of any taint... _Primus spoke to us_."

Eleonor almost dropped the datapad in shock.

"It was true then. Cybertron is _Primus_. Your... _God_." She said, amazement written all over her features. The beige seeker nodded grimly. "And what did he say?"

"He said that he knew what we were looking for." Starscream continued. "Do you remember when Alpha Trion told us the story about how the Star Saber was broken into five pieces?"

"Yes. He said that each fragment was guarded by a mech that was part of Nexus Prime, who was a _combiner_, although I must admit that that part was a little confusing for me." She replied, with a thoughtful tilt of her head.

"A combiner team is a group of mechs that have a special transformation sequence that allows them to merge into one great, single mech. We have some of those teams in our ranks too. However, the technology has not been fully perfected, and they tend to become a little unstable or simple minded when they merge together." Shockwave explained efficiently, and Eleonor nodded, grateful for the quick summary.

"I highly doubt that Nexus Prime had any issue with his merge." Starscream mused. "Anyway." He continued. "Vector Sigma granted us access to another room where a mech was asleep, in deep stasis. Alpha Trion instantly recognized him. It was _Chaindrive._ One of the five mechs that constitute Nexus Prime." He explained. "He was a little disoriented after all that time in stasis. Fortunately, the Librarian has been taking care of him since he woke up, gradually briefing him on everything."

"Oh." Eleonor exclaimed. "And he gave you the fragment?"

"He was a little reluctant at first. No one blames him. I would have also been a little distrustful at the mere idea. Especially considering that he had been in stasis for most of his life, and he woke up surrounded by mechs that he didn't know of and were interested in the relic he had sworn to protect. But Alpha Trion was there with him, and they have known each other since the ancient times. Also, Primus assured him that everything was alright, and who can say no to his very God? Not even me." Starscream shrugged and offered a small smirk. "Finally, he relinquished the fragment to Optimus. And he was actually very glad to do it. After so many eons of hiding and literally _not living_ for the Star Saber's sake, he was immensely relieved to pass on that huge responsibility to another worthy mech."

"It's understandable." She hummed. She was curious about that new mech. Maybe she could talk to him later. "And what was that... shield you used against Tarantulas?"

"Ah, that was another trinket courtesy of Primus." Starscream stood up and his left forearm-plates shifted and extended to form a huge golden shield with bright blue edges. "The Skyboom Shield. Another relic from the ancient times forged by Solus Prime. It's the only thing that can withstand the might of the Star Saber and the Requiem Blaster. It also has a very useful reflect-mode." The seeker chuckled for himself. "The Shield was forged _after_ Unicron was originally destroyed, so neither he, nor Tarantulas were aware of its existence. My plan was very easy. I only had to taunt Tarantulas and make him shoot at me to turn the tables around. Risky, but simple." He smirked.

"Like I've already said, you are nuts, Starscream." Shockwave said, his voice deadly serious.

"Someone has to be." The seeker shrugged. "Soundwave and you would have killed Lord Megatron from sheer boredom eons ago if it weren't for me."

Shockwave huffed softly through his vents, but let the matter drop. As disrespectful and irreverent as Starscream could sometimes be, he was still the Second in Command, and he had certainly gained himself a brief time to relax and joke around. The seeker had, after all, risked his own life to destroy the spider-like mech and save them all.

"What else did Primus say?" Eleonor wanted to know.

"He told us to come back whenever we wished to. He said that he missed the times when his children came to him to seek his wisdom and ask for advice. That we would be very welcomed." Shockwave replied.

"That has to be the coolest thing in the Universe." She mused aloud. "Even I would like to talk to him, but I don't feel worthy of the privilege, and I wouldn't know what to ask."

"I am sure he wouldn't mind." The seeker smirked.

"So, Optimus is going to keep the Saber, Megatron the Blaster and you the Shield." She stated, changing the subject.

"Well, no one has reclaimed it, and I think it looks nice on me." He made a pose, grinning evilly behind the shield. That made Eleonor smile despite herself.

"You truly are a knight in shining armor." She giggled.

Starscream tilted his helm to the side.

"What's a 'knight'?"

* * *

><p>Eleonor arrived to the improvised rec. room. She had been working the whole morning with Starscream and Shockwave, and she needed to clear her mind for a while. Even then, she carried a datapad, just in case something occurred to her.<p>

Quiet Cybertronian chatter caught her attention. Turning her head in the direction of the voices, she saw Alpha Trion and the other ancient prime, Chaindrive. They were sitting at one of the tables, sharing a cube of energon, although the combiner mech's drink had not been touched yet. The Librarian had a comforting servo on Chaindrive's shoulder. Eleonor could only catch a few words of what they were saying, but judging from his tone, it seemed that the rescued mech was upset.

Eleonor felt the urge to help, but in order to do that, she first needed to find out what was affecting the combiner mech. She stepped in the two primes' direction, but she stopped half-way. Thinking again, it seemed rude to interrupt the ancient mechs. Maybe they were apart because they didn't want anyone else's company. Maybe they just needed some time alone.

She was about to leave again, when the old and gentle voice of the Librarian called her name.

"Eleonor." He said looking down at her. "I am sorry, I didn't notice you enter."

"It's alright." She said, a little embarrassed for finally interrupting the other two mechs. "I didn't want to interrupt you." She looked briefly at the other mech. "I'd better leave."

"Don't worry, you are not bothering us." The Librarian said, and with a certain effort he lowered a servo for her to stand upon. "I would like to properly introduce you to Chaindrive." He said, motioning at the new mech. "He is also one of the Thirteen."

"I'd love to." She smiled as Alpha Trion deposited her carefully on the table. She looked a little nervously at said mech, who stared back at her with an unreadable look. "Oh!" She suddenly exclaimed, pausing to remember something that Skywarp had told her some time ago. "Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong!" She said with some difficulty.

Chaindrive's expression went even more blank.

"Did I say it right?" She looked at the Librarian. "Skywarp told me that it was an universal greeting to show good intentions."

"That won't be necessary." Chaindrive replied, and the corners of his mouth-plates finally turned up into a small smile. His tone was calm and slow, still getting used to the new language. "Alpha Trion has taught me your language."

"Well, that's a relief. I am Eleonor, pleased to meet you." She smiled softly, but then her expression turned to mild concern as she recalled what had made her approach the two mechs. "Are you alright? You seemed a little... upset before." She asked, her tone honest.

"I..." He hesitated.

Then, realizing she had sounded a little meddlesome, she tried to correct herself.

"I am sorry, I have just met you and I am already asking personal things. I didn't mean to." She apologized. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"You just have to worry about everyone, don't you?" Alpha Trion said knowingly.

"I suppose it's in my nature." She shrugged. "Well, if you need to unburden yourself to someone, I am a good listener." She said, looking back at Chaindrive and offering a reassuring smile. "I can only imagine how it must have been for you to wake up after all that time, but try to cheer up. We are here to help. You can always count on us, for anything." She added, with a thumbs up.

Chaindrive looked curiously at her.

"Are all humans so... empathic?" He asked, looking at the elder prime.

"Only some of them." Alpha Trion replied, with a knowing look.

Chaindrive let out a defeated sigh through his vents.

"It's just... everything is so confusing... and I feel so out of place." He said, finally breaking down. "I've been in stasis most of my life." He sighed, and his voice became distant. "I am as old as Alpha Trion, but I don't feel like it. I have missed _everything_. I haven't had a _life_. It is as if... as if time stopped for me eons ago, and now I have to quickly catch up with everything. I feel lost and confused... like I do not belong to all... _this_." He made a vague gesture throwing up his arms and gesturing around him.

Eleonor bit her lip. She hadn't meant to further upset the mech. Despite been undoubtedly an ancient Prime, Chaindrive didn't have that aura of calmness and wisdom that was inherent to Alpha Trion. He seemed younger, lost, and even a little bit scared. Everything was happening too fast for him now that he was out of stasis.

"Most of the friends I once had and the mechs I knew are dead." He continued, his voice strained, as would have been a human's on the verge of tears. "I can't even feel the other members of my combiner team any longer. I think our bond has dimmed during all this time. I don't even know where they are. And that makes everything even scarier. I have never felt so... _alone_ in every sense..." He trailed off.

"Hey, you are not alone anymore." Eleonor said, approaching hesitantly to him and placing a tiny hand on his forearm. "You have Alpha Trion, and me, and the other Decepticons and Autobots."

"But they always look so… worried about more important things." He murmured.

"There's always time to sit down for a while to make a new friend." She said. "And we are going to find your brothers."

"Do you honestly think so?"

"Of course! Have you seen how strong and single minded these mechs are?" She grinned and winked an eye. "I haven't seen them fail at anything they have aimed for. Don't worry."

Chaindrive seemed to calm a little after that, and regained some of his composure.

"Why don't you tell me some stories about your time? I would love to hear how Cybertron was back in your time." Eleonor asked after some seconds in silence, trying to keep Chaindrive's mind far from depressing thoughts.

"Well... It certainly was very different." He blinked a couple of times, trying to focus on his hard drives, bringing up the old files. "Brighter. With a different style." He said, contrasting his old memories with the data about the current state of their planet that the Librarian had given him the day before. "Would you like to see some photographs?"

"I'd love to."

* * *

><p>"Lord Megatron." Soundwave almost exclaimed as soon as he was finished reading through the report that Megatron had sent him detailing the outcome of the latest events. Though the mission had ended in success, and he had re-read several times the line that reported zero casualties, he couldn't shake the feeling of concern that had seized his usually impassive spark. He should have been there. With his telepathic skills he could have easily read Tarantulas' mind to find out if he was being truthful and dismantle his charade before he even had the chance to step into Vector Sigma's room. It felt almost like a failure on his part. A negligence.<p>

"We are _all fine_." Megatron said slowly, especially stressing the word 'all'. Soundwave had been his Third in Command for longer than he cared to remember, and the Communications Officer's emotions, as difficult to guess as they could be, were no secret to the Decepticon Leader. They were just difficult to see, but they were there if you knew what to look at. The slight dimming of his visor. The barely noticeable edge in his monotonic voice. The brief twitch of the antennae arrays on his back...

"Acknowledged." The blue and silver mech finally nodded, and made no further attempt to continue asking about the 'Herald of Unicron' matter.

"Is everything going as planned with Omega?" Megatron wanted to know.

"Omega Supreme's repair status: 75 percent. Hull integrity: restored."

"Excellent." The silver mech said, pleased by his Third's efficiency. Then, he gave a brief pause before speaking again. "Besides from debriefing you, I have called to consult another... pressing matter with you." Megatron said, his tone heavy with seriousness. He drummed his claws on the edge of the communications' terminal and locked his gaze onto Soundwave's video feed. The blue and silver mech waited patiently for Megatron to speak. Whatever it was, it must had been very important to make his Leader hesitate in such a way. "Optimus had offered his help in the task of looking for the rest of the fragments of the Star Saber... Using the Ark. " He finally said. Soundwave's visor brightened in silent shock. "Starscream doesn't seem to care too much. Shockwave says it's risky, but if well handled it could greatly improve our chances of success, especially now that we may be running out of time." He summarized. "I would like to know your opinion too."

Soundwave stood silently for some seconds on the other side of the screen. Megatron consulting him was nothing new, but purposely seeking his advice in such an important matter was a honor.

"Shockwave's reasoning: correct. Success rate: increased by 56.3 per cent." He agreed with the Lieutenant. Then, running different scenarios in his processors, he spoke again. "Requesting permission to make a suggestion."

"Granted." Megatron conceded, arching an optic-ridge. Was Soundwave's suggestion going to be so bold than even he felt the urge to ask for permission?

"Suggestion: mixed crews for both vessels." The blue and silver mech said bluntly.

"What?" The Decepticon Leader asked in pure reflex, but then, quieted and paused to think through the idea more carefully. Mixed crews in each ship will discourage both of them from opening fire on the other one in the unlikely (but not impossible) events of any resentful mech trying something stupid. It would promote teamwork, which was something that was going to be crucial in the future, and would balance the strong and weak points of each faction. Sometimes, the Decepticons lacked diplomacy, and sometimes the Autobots lacked boldness. Yes, he could understand his Third's logic. "Your point of view has been duly noted and valuable, Soundwave. I will... bring the suggestion to Optimus." He finally replied.

Soundwave nodded, relieved that his daring idea had not been branded as plain crazy, and thankful for the unspoken but implicit gratitude in his Leader's words.

No matter what, their next mission was going to be very interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Well, that was a lot of explaining, I hope I didn't make you bored. In my defense, I'll say that I made a G1 reference and an 'Alice in Wonderland' reference. He, he, go find them! Anyway, this chapter was hard to write because it was time for Eleonor to get a little recognition for her merits (about time! No one gives her credit!) and Megatron was very difficult to keep in character. I did and re-did that dialog a couple of times. I hope it's OK now.

About Chaindrive, I came up with everything about his personality. But I think it's nice. Alpha Trion may be full of wisdom, but Chaindrive seems a little insecure and has his own problems after all that time in stasis. Not every ancient prime is going to be super-badaft. Maybe Nexus Prime can be cool and powerful, but certainly not Chaindrive alone.

Aaaand Eleonor is going to get an _exo-suit_ (about time, again!). Sweet! That will make her a little less squishable! I did some concep drawings of how the exo-suit may look like. I am posting them on my profile. Go and see them and tell me what you think, please!

**PD:** Thanks to Angelcakes19 for beta-reading this :D


	27. Suit up

Chapter 27: Suit up

_[The next day.]_

Starscream placed a small bowl filled with some kind of unidentifiable paste in front of Eleonor.

Eleonor looked at Starscream with pleading eyes.

The seeker gave her a pointed look.

The woman emitted a defeated sigh.

Reaching out a hand, she dipped her index finger into the paste, eyeing it suspiciously. They had been at it the whole morning. Starscream had prepared some 'space food' samples and Eleonor had been trying them out. Not that she was going to complain. All these efforts were for her own good, but every sample tasted worse than the previous one, and even thinking about trying one more made her nauseous.

"Don't be so melodramatic. None of these samples can cause you any harm. In fact, they have exactly everything you need to be healthy, from raw compounds to vitamins. With the perfect balance of inorganic salts. It just needs to be added water to form the perfect food, and it's 95% assimilable, and it produces almost no waste. In fact, every human should eat this." The seeker explained, proud of his work.

Starscream was a great scientist, but he was no _cook_. Not to mention that he couldn't even taste the food himself because he had no _taste buds_.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" Shockwave glanced up from his work to see the smirking seeker, half-leaning over the desk, Eleonor in front of him with a resigned aura.

"Immensely." Starscream grinned at the cyclops mech before turning to stare at the woman again. "Now, eat." He ordered.

Eleonor felt like a pet more than ever, but obeyed. This was for her own good, she repeated in her mind. Everyone had to make sacrifices.

She brought her index finger, and the paste on it, to her mouth, shutting her eyes and stilling herself, prepared to be assaulted by an impossibly bitter taste.

But it never happened.

Opening a single eye slowly, and then the other one, she carefully savored the paste. It was almost insipid. It only had a faint hint of sweetness, and mildly reminded her of pasta. It didn't have the most amazing flavour in the world, but the sample was definitely edible.

"It's good!" She exclaimed, finally pulling the finger from her mouth. "At least, compared to the previous samples..." She added.

"That was my plan from the beginning." Starscream smirked smugly. "Leaving the best sample for the last to make it look even better." He straightened, adopting a prideful pose.

Eleonor felt like throwing the rest of the 'food' in the seeker's smirking face-plates, but she respected him far too much for that. Instead, she just gave a long, relieved sigh.

"Well, I'm just glad that this issue is over with." She said, pinching her nose-bridge between two fingers.

However, her relief was short-lived, because only a few seconds later, Shockwave approached the desk she was standing upon with an unreadable look in his single optic.

"Strip down your clothing." He ordered, emotionless.

Eleonor blushed instantly and almost choked. Starscream covered his mouth-pieces with a servo, but it did little to muffle his guffaw.

"At least I invited you to dinner first." The seeker managed to say, still snickering, which only served to make Eleonor turn a brighter shade of red. Shockwave shook his helm at the seeker, not catching the reference. Finally, Starscream managed to quiet down enough to speak properly again. "Shockwave, humans have this strange habit of not taking their clothes off in public. They don't like to be seen naked, or in their underwear, for that matter. A habit that I will never understand, by the way. Why not in underwear, but yes with a swimming suit? It's beyond me." He explained, with an exaggerated shrug.

"Well, if you want to try the exo-suit you are going to have to take off your footwear and clothing, at least the exterior ones. You can keep the underwear, if it's that important." Shockwave said, resolute.

"Okay..." Eleonor let out another long suffering sigh and resigned herself to the task. It wasn't actually very different from wearing a bikini. She could even imagine it was for medical purposes. Hell, Cybertronians didn't even wear clothes. Their cultures were very different in that matter. She shouldn't be so embarrassed.

A minute later Eleonor was standing on the desk, pale skin contrasting with black underwear, shifting uneasily under the two mechs scrutiny.

"I still can't understand what's all the fuss about the clothing. It's totally illogical." Shockwave stated.

Eleonor opened her mouth to try to formulate some kind of explanation, but she couldn't say much, because she was suddenly interrupted by a loud crackling noise and a flash of purple.

"Guess who just got clearance from the medics to go out for a flight!" Skywarp exclaimed cheerfully, throwing his arms into the air, almost dropping his blue brother to the floor.

"Skywarp! How many times must I tell you? Don't hug me and teleport us away without a warning!" Thundercracker shouted to his black trine-mate, regaining his balance.

"But I thought you would be happy to know, you are my dear trine-mates after all! I wanted to share the good news with you and 'Screamer." Skywarp explained.

"Yes, and we are happy about you, but you could have just sent us a message through the comm. link. Besides, you are going to make Starscream envious because he still can't fly after the repairs... right, Starscream?" Thundercracker said, and turned to face his trine-leader. His glance drifted from the beige seeker to Shockwave, and then to... the small and almost naked woman on the desk. His optics narrowed dangerously. "WHAT are you two fraggers doing to Eleonor?" He snarled (and Thundercracker hardly ever snarled), his wings flaring angrily behind his back and armor-plates bristling.

Shockwave remained impassive, impervious to the blue seeker's anger. Starscream, for his part, burst into uncontrollable laughter, one servo firmly held to the edge of the desk for balance.

Eleonor... well. She was about to die from embarrassment, and was unable to articulate any coherent word to try to explain the situation.

"We were about to test the exo-suit I have prepared for her." The cyclops mech explained calmly.

"Oh." The blue seeker quieted, his anger subsiding and his wings falling into their usual angle. "That explains everything."

"I still can't understand why you humans don't like to be seen like this. It's not like those flimsy covers offer much protection anyway." Skywarp mused aloud, already next to Eleonor and eyeing her curiously.

"Humm... well... can we get this over with? Please?" She pleaded, her voice barely audible.

"That was what I was thinking." Shockwave agreed, and brought the exo-suit, which was mounted on some kind of stand to keep it straight, closer to Eleonor. He introduced some commands in a datapad, and the frontal plates of the suit slid aside, revealing the hollow interior.

Eleonor sighed in relief, and was about to approach the suit when the doors of the lab opened with a swoosh.

"Starscream, the Nemesis' fuel tanks are replenished. Lord Megatron wants us to be prepared to leave in a joor..." Knock Out entered the lab, reading some reports in a datapad. Glancing up from his lecture, he took in the scene in the room. Four mechs surrounding an... almost naked human. He placed a servo on his hip and arched an optic ridge, a sly grin playing in his face-plates. "...And you didn't invite me?"

The young woman hid her face between her hands. If it was possible to die from embarrassment, Eleonor was sure that she would have already done it by now. Starscream, who had managed to calm down after the arrival of his brothers, burst into laughter. _Again_.

"We were going to..." Shockwave started to explain, but trailed off. "Oh, for Spark's sake. Just get in the suit already before anyone else enters!" He ordered to the human, his formal demeanor almost failing him.

Eleonor quickly did as she was told. She positioned herself inside the suit, and after a few seconds, the plates shifted again to seal the suit with a very soft hiss. The helmet, however, remained up.

Knock Out had other things to do, but he decided that this was just too amusing to miss. Subspacing his datapad, he leaned against the far wall of the lab with a smug expression. Skywarp and Thundercracker took a seat near the table.

"How does it feel?" The cyclops mech asked.

"Like a glove." She replied. "But I can't move."

"Okay. I've released the hinges of the support. Try to walk now."

The woman took a tentative step. Then another. And then... tripped and fell flat on the desk.

"Ouch."

Skywarp snorted a laugh. Thundercracker hit him on the helm.

Eleonor tried to get up, but it was proving to be a little difficult with the exo-suit.

"Would anyone mind... giving me a hand?" She asked. Thundercracker reached a servo to help her, but his trine-leader stopped him, blocking his arm half-way.

"Get up by yourself." Starscream said suddenly, his tone stern and serious. The woman looked back at him from her uncomfortable position on the table. "You have to learn to do it alone." He insisted, locking his gaze onto hers.

Eleonor got the unspoken message. In case of emergency, no one was going to be able to help her. She had to be more self-sufficient.

It took some effort and a couple of failed attempts, but finally, Eleonor was standing again on the desk with a proud expression on her face.

"This is like having to learn to walk again." She said, giving some tentative steps, but gaining confidence little by little until she was walking almost normally.

"You humans have to learn _basic_ movements such as walking?" Skywarp asked, coming closer.

"Yes. We can't upload a 'how-to-walk' program." She smiled. "But don't worry, we learn fast." As if to prove her point, she stopped on one corner of the table, and made a quick dash to the center. She almost stumbled when she tried to stop due to the suit's extra weight, but she managed to remain on her feet. "I don't require any extra effort to move around inside this, because it assist my movements, but it definitely makes me heavier. Bearing that in mind, it's not so difficult."

"Excellent." Shockwave approved. "Now, let me explain the other features of the exo-suit."

* * *

><p>Everything was ready for departure. Starscream had prepared a big batch of his new recipe of 'space food', which was synthesized as something akin to powdered milk. It just needed to be added water to be edible, and while dehydrated it wouldn't perish in a long time. The Nemesis' water tanks were at full capacity, and it had been equipped with a portable water purification system. With that taken care of, Eleonor had gathered the essential hygiene products and clothing, leaving everything ready for a long journey through the galaxies.<p>

Currently, Eleonor and Shockwave were alone in one of the computer stations in the lower deck. The cyclops mech had been teaching her the other utilities the suit was equipped with.

Like the possibility to connect with almost any cybertronian terminal. The suit itself had an integrated computer. It was like a datapad, but more powerful. A small data cable could be extended from one of the arm-plates and used to connect to other terminals. The screen would be displayed inside the helm's HUD, and the contents, navigated with simple finger movements. And not only that. It could also store data and had its own signal beacon so that she could be easily located if she got lost. It even had a comm. link accessible through the HUD to call anyone who had her frequency.

But the most remarkable feature was the oxygen economization system. It made the air cylinders last much longer because, as the air never left the inside of the suit, nothing was wasted, and it actively filtered the carbon dioxide and gathered oxygen to replenish the cylinders if the gas was present in the exterior environment.

"Shockwave..." She looked at the huge mech, who had just finished explaining how the suit opened and closed. He looked back at her with a questioning look in his single optic. "This suit is incredible and it's going to make my life much easier. I don't know what I can do to repay this to you... but the least I can say is _thank you_." She said, really meaning it.

Shockwave studied her for some seconds, choosing his words.

"You are useful. Keeping you from harm is the most logical thing to do to prolong your usefulness." He replied, without any hint of emotion, but it made Eleonor smile anyway. Decepticons had to maintain their reputation.

"How cold." A new voice said from the entrance. The woman and the cyclops mech turned and discovered Knock Out leaning against the door-frame, smugness and confidence radiating from him.

"Hello, Knock Out." Eleonor greeted him, waving a hand. Shockwave merely nodded.

"I came to see if you needed help to put some color into that armor." The medic said, placing a hand on his hip.

"I thought it was fine like this." She murmured, looking down at herself and not disliking the unpolished grey plating.

"Of course not. You can't go prancing around the ship looking like the lost daughter of Megatron." The red mech said flippantly. Eleonor almost choked, not expecting that remark.

"Do what you want, but after I have finished explaining to her how the suit works." Shockwave replied, with a short indignant grunt. "Besides, she is probably going to get scratched learning how to use the last feature of the suit." And to prove his point, he typed some code in the datapad he had connected to Eleonor's suit, and two tiny wing stubs with thrusters unfolded from the back of the suit.

"What the..." Eleonor turned her head as much as she could manage and caught sight of the new protrusions on her back. "... Oh, no, no, no. Thanks, but no thanks. I am very happy with my feet on the ground. I prefer leaving the sky to the seekers."

"It's not designed for extended periods of flight, only short ones. But it will be useful helping you to escape from somewhere, reaching a higher place, saving you from a fall, etc." Shockwave explained.

"Well... from that point of view..."

* * *

><p>The journey back to Cybertron went uneventfully.<p>

Soundwave was giving the final adjustments to the quantum transmitter he had installed in the Ark. That way, they would be able to make contact with the Autobots no matter the distance.

With a loud noise of debris and concrete been crunched under its landing equipment, the Nemesis landed next to the Ark. If a foreign observer had watched the scene, he would have been captivated by the imposing presence of the two mightiest vessels of the Cybertronian fleet. The Autobot ship's golden and red exteriors gleamed softly under the midday sun, rounded edges and polished finish refracting the light gently. In contrast, the Decepticon ship looked like an ominous obsidian shadow, with a matt finish that didn't reflect the light, sharp edges and pointed arrays that sliced through the wind when it sailed the skies.

Optimus and Megatron were alone at the Nemesis' main bridge, while the rest of their troops made the final preparations for the journey. They had been discussing their strategy and planning their route in case they finally shared their quest of finding the rest of the fragments of the Star Saber.

"Optimus." Megatron said suddenly, his voice taking a more serious edge, if that was possible. His Autobot counterpart looked back at him from across the table. "In case we finally decide to do this together... I have a... _suggestion_ to make." He finally said, feeling uncomfortable with his own words. The great Leader of the Decepticons didn't make suggestions. He commanded and others obeyed.

The Autobot stared back at him, studying the other mech for several seconds.

"I am listening."

* * *

><p><em>[Autobot Base, Earth. Several hours later.]<em>

"Prowl, why don't ya come with me to da rec. room for a while?" Jazz asked, as he leaned against the door-frame. Prowl had assigned to himself almost every monitor-duty shift since Optimus and his team had departed from Earth. He tried not to show it, but he was worried about them. Very worried.

"Do you think they are alright?" The police mech asked, without turning back, his gaze still fixated on the monitors, his voice unusually soft. No sense in trying to hide his emotions from Jazz. He knew him all too well.

The silver mech approached and gently placed a servo between Prowl's doorwings in a gesture of reassurance.

"Ah do not _think_ they are alright. Ah _know_ they are." Jazz replied, looking at the other mech, who had his optics still locked on the screens. "Optimus is a tough mech. An' good ol'Hide is with him, along with 'Bee an' da Hatchet. And don't make me get started on da Hatchet because ya know as well as me he can knock down two mechs with a single wrench."

"He almost _killed_ you that day." Prowl whispered, finally turning to look back at the silver mech. He didn't need to specify _who_ he was speaking about. His gaze was stern as he looked into Jazz's pale-blue visor.

"So many mechs have almost killed between themselves. And so many others have succeeded at it..." Jazz sighed. "But Prime told us he had changed."

"He may have changed, but I still don't trust him."

The silver mech gave a defeated sigh and looked away. Prowl could be very stubborn if he wanted to, and he had a good reason to be wary of the Decepticon Leader. He honestly doubted there was anything in the Universe that Megatron could do to gain his trust again.

"Huh... what's that signal?" Jazz asked, suddenly noticing a small dot appearing on the terminal corresponding with the outer sensors that orbited the planet.

Prowl's helm turned to the terminal with neck-breaking speed and he immediately started to type commands.

"Unknown frequency range." He murmured

"Whatever it is, it looks _really big_." Jazz whistled, checking the scans.

At that moment, an incoming transmission pinged the communications terminal. Prowl patched it up, and the monitor came alive with the video feed.

"Optimus Prime, Sir!" Prowl exclaimed, momentarily forgetting about his formal demeanor.

* * *

><p><em>[Two hours later.]<em>

Almost every Autobot and human at the Base stared in awe at the colossal spaceship that was slowly descending from the sky, clouding the sun and making the facilities look tiny in comparison.

The deafening roar of its engines dimmed progressively until it touched the ground, the earth shaking under the weight of the massive ship.

The crowd gathered around the ship burst into jubilant cheers and exclamations as the Autobot Leader and his small team walked down the exit ramp with confident expressions on their face-plates.

Prowl just _stared_. He couldn't do anything more as his processors threatened to glitch and crash. Optimus had came back, and...

"The _Ark_! Not only have ya come back safely, but ya brought back the Ark with ya!" Jazz exclaimed, resisting the urge to bounce around Optimus like a sparkling. "What happened in Cybertron? Is everyone alright? Where's Megs? Did ya find what ya were looking for?"

"Calm down, Jazz, you are starting to sound like Blurr." Ironhide grumbled, back to his usual grumpy self.

"I think it is going to be a long debrief." Optimus said, his tone radiating calmness to put his comrades at ease.

* * *

><p><em>[Palace of Kaon, Cybertron.]<em>

Eleonor waited patiently, sitting on a berth as Knock Out pranced around his med-bay, collecting tools and cans. Leaning against the same berth was Breakdown, silently watching his partner with appraising optics.

"He looks... excited." She stated.

"He... appreciates a good paint-job, something very few other mechs do." The blue and grey mech replied.

"The correct functioning of one's systems and machinery is important, but so is keeping a nice exterior." The medic said, approaching the berth with a tray full of tools. "Unfortunately, most Decepticons show an utter disregard for their finish, those brutes!" He exclaimed with disdain. "But I am not going to let you do the same." He added, stabbing a finger in her direction.

"Huh... okay." She replied, raising her hands in surrender.

Breakdown gave a half smile. He loved to see Knock Out in appearance-enhancement-mode. The red mech was an excellent medic, although he had an inevitable tendency of making his patients 'suffer' a little more than necessary while he repaired them. Fixing cosmetic damages and finish, were a whole other story. Those were the only occasions where he showed the caring nature he kept hidden under layers of vain acts and teasing remarks, and Breakdown deeply relished those scarce moments. It was what made Knock Out... well, _him_.

"Good." The red mech nodded. "Now, were you thinking about some color in particular?"

"How about white and grey?"

"White and grey? So dull." Knock Out said with a small pout, disappointed.

"Well, it's the color of what I usually wear for the laboratory. Grey skirt, white blouse and white lab coat."

"As you wish, but it's going to have a glossy finish." The medic grinned. "Now stand up and spread your arms." He instructed, as he readied the airbrush with a primer-coating paint.

The whole process took less than an hour. Cybertronian paint dried very quickly, and Knock Out's servos worked with practised skill, as if the airbrush was another extension of his frame. Most of the exo-suit was painted in white, with light-grey details and the inner parts were dark grey.

"I love it!" The young woman exclaimed, looking at herself in a mirror that Breakdown was holding out for her. From where had he obtained a mirror, Eleonor could only guess. "Thank you, Knock Out!"

"Hum. It didn't turn out so bad. It's elegant and discreet without been dull." The red medic nodded in approval. "Now, should we put a Decepticon emblem on it?"

Eleonor's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, no, no! I cannot wear your symbol." She replied, a little too quickly.

"Afraid of our reputation, aren't you?" Knock Out smirked, already expecting the refusal, although still a little disappointed by it.

"That's not... that's not what I meant..." She sighed. Repeating her own words in her mind, it had looked as if she didn't want to be associated with the Decepticon faction. "What I wanted to say, is that I am not _worthy_ of wearing a Decepticon badge, or an Autobot one, for that matter. Your insignias mean your ideals. You had been through a _war_, suffered wounds, lost comrades, because of them. They mean days of triumph and days of defeat. They are a reminder of all you have been through." Eleonor explained, her voice filled with admiration. "In contrast, I have just arrived to all... this. Thus, I am not worthy enough to wear one." She added sadly.

Knock Out's gaze softened as he looked at her in silent appraisal.

"I couldn't have put it better myself." A new deep and commanding voice spoke from the entrance of the med-bay.

"Lord Megatron!" Breakdown quickly saluted. How the huge Decepticon Leader could be so silent, when he wanted to, was a mystery to everyone.

The silver mech nodded in acknowledgement and strode inside the room, making the medic, his assistant and the human stiffen under his stern glare.

"You are not worthy of a Decepticon insignia." He repeated, his tone cold as he loomed over the human, who felt even smaller near the huge mech. "But perhaps you can wear this." He added with a smirk, and left a datapad on the berth before turning and heading again for the exit, to continue with whatever duties he had.

Eleonor blinked a couple of times and released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She bent slightly to look at the big datapad that Megatron had left on the berth near her.

"What is this?" She wondered. Starscream had been teaching her the cybertronian writing, but this symbol, she didn't recall having seen it.

"It's an ancient glyph. Not very used these days." Breakdown said, and then looked at her with a small smile. "It suits you."

"But, what does it mean?"

"It's a mark of honor that identifies its bearer as an ally of Cybertron." He explained.

"Oh."

* * *

><p><em>[Autobot Base, Earth. Several hours later.]<em>

Three hours later, Optimus had finished with the debrief about what had happened in Cybertron. The battle with Omega Supreme, the travel to Vector Sigma, Tarantulas, the corruption of Unicron's essence, the Requiem Blaster, the spider's defeat... in short, _everything_.

"So, Megatron let you come back to Earth with _the Ark_, a space-warp-capable vessel, powerful enough to pose a threat to him, without any complaint?" Prowl couldn't get over his astonishment. "Where's the catch? What does he want in return?"

"Nothing." Optimus replied, folding his servos behind his back. "Things have... _changed_." He said, his mind drifting away as he remembered how Megatron had risked his life to stop Omega Supreme.

"I got that much." Prowl stated, his icy blue optics fixated on some distant point. "My best guess is that all this is just a charade to make us believe we can let our guard down. And then strike fast and hard when we less expect it."

"Prowler..." Jazz started to say, but the police mech rose a servo to stop him, indicating that he was not done yet.

"But." The Autobot Second in Command continued. "Facts indicate that he has had plenty of occasions to kill you actively or passively." He said. "And that is incompatible with my first guess, so, I should turn down this zero-hypothesis and accept the alternative..." He gave a dramatic pause, as if what he was about to say was difficult to vocalize, which actually wasn't too far from the truth. "That Megatron's intentions are, indeed, honest and with the well-being of the Cybertronian race in mind."

"You have reached the same conclusion as me." Optimus nodded to his Second.

"Wait a klik." Jazz intervened. "You said that you had retrieved the first fragment of the Star Saber. What happens with the rest?"

"We have obtained the coordinates to their location..." The Autobot Leader started to say.

"... And you plan on helping him search for them." Prowl finished, his advanced tactician processors already running different scenarios, and finding that option the most logical following Optimus's usual way of thinking.

"Ya know, dat's a very ugly habit ya have, cutting off people and finishing their sentences." Jazz reprimanded the police mech, half teasing and half serious. It was difficult for the police mech to lost his temper, but this was one of the few subjects that could manage that feat: trusting an enemy, especially the Decepticon Leader himself.

"It's not my fault our Leader is so predictable." Prowl retorted back.

"Prowl." Optimus said, without raising his voice, but the warning in his tone was crystal clear. He could, however, understand his Second's mistrust.

"With all due respect, Sir, that is highly unwise." Prowl said, trying to get hold of his emotions and maintain a cool demeanor. "What if Megatron only wants you to make the retrieval of the fragments easier, to steal them later for himself?"

"Then he wouldn't have given me the only fragment we have recovered so far in the first place or the coordinates to the rest." Optimus replied calmly. "Besides, he didn't ask for our help. I offered myself. In fact he disagreed with the idea at first. The Decepticons are completely capable of doing this on their own, but Megatron fears that we may be running out of time to prepare our offensive against Unicron, who, may I observe, is a threat to both Decepticons and Autobots alike, as well as to any other living being. That's how I convinced him to let us help."

Prowl growled slightly but said nothing. He couldn't deny the logic in that reasoning.

"Well, I'm in for an exciting adventure." Jazz said, grinning shamelessly. "Earth was beginning to look boring. When are we going?"

"As soon as we can assemble a crew and prepare for departure." Optimus replied, his tone all seriousness. "But I have a request."

"And here comes _the catch_." Prowl narrowed his optics, steeling himself for whatever Optimus had to say.

* * *

><p><em>[Palace of Kaon, Cybertron.]<em>

"You can't be serious!" Starscream exclaimed, his usually smug tone turned into an indignant screech. He was with his Leader, Soundwave and Shockwave at the conference room of the Palace. They were sharing the same round table until the seeker rose, throwing his arms in the air in a dramatic exaggeration of his disagreement.

"Yes, I am." Megatron replied calmly, watching his Second pacing furiously around the room. "Now, calm down before I shoot you." Shockwave and Soundwave exchanged brief glances.

"I can certainly see the pros in that course of action." The cyclops mech spoke calmly. "But it comes with some cons. Not many Decepticons would be happy to work side by side with an Autobot."

"They don't need to be happy. They just need to do it because it will be my command." Megatron growled deep in his throat, and Soundwave suddenly found himself regretting making that suggestion to his Leader. Yes, in ideal circumstances it would raise the success rate of the mission, but the circumstances were far from ideal to begin with.

"Madness! This is complete madness!" Starscream continued his rant. "They are going to kill themselves, and then we'll start another war and all our plans will go up the creek!"

"You seemed to manage the situation quite fine on Earth." Megatron stated, crossing his arms across his broad chest-plates. "Not so confident now?" A taunting smirk crept into his features.

The seeker stopped his pacing, wings twitching and vocalizer hissing.

"_This_ is totally different." Starscream snapped. "I admit there are exceptions, but as a general rule, our mechs are slightly more aggressive than the Autobots." He strode towards Megatron's side of the table, slamming his servos on it with unnecessary force. His Leader didn't even flinch. "A small group of Decepticons in an Autobot base is _uncomfortable_. A team of Autobots in a Decepticon ship is a _time-bomb_. I cannot keep track of everyone!"

And there was the problem, Megatron thought. Starscream always wanted to do everything by himself alone, not trusting anyone with important tasks. To have everything under his direct control, which only served to make his work harder.

_/Who said you would be alone in this task?/_ The old and wise voice of Alpha Trion echoed in the throne room as Soundwave replayed a recorded clip from the ancient Prime. The same words he had used to encourage Megatron when his resolve had faltered, reminding him that his loyal soldiers would follow him anywhere.

Starscream fell silent, his bright crimson optics locked with his Leader's, but without really looking at him.

"Starscream, _you_ more than anyone should know what it is like to work in a team. You have a trine." Megatron spoke calmly, a small smirk playing across his features. "If you ever want to replace me, you are going to have to learn to trust a little in your subordinates." He gave a pointed look at Soundwave and Shockwave. "Like I do."

Starscream chuckled weakly, the tension draining from his frame little by little.

"Even me?" The seeker asked, his voice with an evil edge, but his smirk playful. "You have picked up some of Optimus' bad habits."

"I said _a little_." Megatron smirked back, sharp mouth-pieces glinting under the room's lighting. "Now," he grasped the seeker by one shoulder and pushed him back into his chair, not very gently. "Moving to another subject." He pressed some commands into the table's controls and an holographic representation appeared in the center. "These are the four coordinates of the other four pieces of the Star Saber. They are vague, they only point to planets, so once near the area we'll have to use the ship scanners to do the fine work."

"That is going to be difficult." Shockwave intervened. "I scanned the first fragment that Chaindrive gave us, and it barely emits any distinctive signal. It reflects the scans with a distinct resonance, but it comes back very weak. We will have to be very close to pick it up."

Megatron nodded, pressing the table's control buttons thoughtfully, not really looking at the holograms.

"Shockwave, see if you can do something to improve that signal's reception." The Decepticon Leader said, and the cyclops mech gave a sharp nod. "Soundwave, I want a list of possible candidates for this mission. I want them to be capable of restraining themselves and with useful skills."

"Acknowledged."

"And Starscream, you-" He didn't get the chance of finishing his sentence, because suddenly, the seeker swatted away his servo from the table's controls and pressed the 'back' button, replaying the previous coordinates. "What the frag is the matter with you now Starscream?" He turned sharply to look at the seeker, and what he saw unsettled him.

Starscream's optics were wide, fixated on the planet's representation, reading time and time again the coordinates, as if disbelieving them. His in-takes hitched and his armor plates were flat against his body. His wings were rigid behind his back.

"Starscream, are you alright?" Shockwave asked, taken aback by the seeker's sudden change of attitude. Sure, Starscream was a melodramatic mech with curious mood swings and a volatile temperament, but this was highly unusual. In fact, he had never seen the seeker behave like this before.

"I-I... yes." He stuttered. "Please, forgive me." He added in a whisper, so low that the other mechs weren't sure if the Second in Command was speaking to them or to himself.

"Starscream?" Megatron asked again, trying to pull the seeker from whatever thoughts were running through his processors. It seemed to work, because Starscream turned to look back at him.

"I don't care what you must do, but we are going to _those_ coordinates first." He said, his voice low and very serious.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Well, many things are about to come and many surprises. And I honestly don't know how I am going to structure the following chapters. Alternating the crews? Both at the same time? And who is going with who? And of course it is time to bring new mechs. I have some of them decided (they will be revealed in the next chapter) but I accept suggestions (PLEASE make suggestions, I seriously need them!).

This chapter is dedicated to Megan666 because today is her birthday! Yay! I hope this chapter made you laugh, or at least, smile.

**PD:** And special thanks to Angelcakes19 for having the patience of beta-testing my terrible grammar.


	28. Preparations

Chapter 28: Preparations

The huge hammer came down with a deafening crash, leaving a considerable dent in the metal floor in its wake.

"You'll have to try harder if you want to score a hit on me!" The agile red mech sneered, jumping backwards to put some distance between him and his aggressor.

The huge blue and grey mech gave a low chuckle as he straightened from his crouch.

"Let's see how you dodge this!" And, producing a laser gun from his shoulder, he aimed at his smaller enemy.

The red mech smirked for a brief moment before jumping out of the way of the incoming fire. He dodged and avoided each blast with astonishing skill while he continued his taunts, making fun of the other mech's aim and speed.

A series of quick blasts went flying right over his helm.

"Are you honestly trying to hit me? Because, that last attack missed by _far_." The red mech snorted a laugh. His joy, however, didn't last long, because suddenly, the remains of an empty container rained down upon him.

The blue and grey mech chuckled as he watched his enemy scramble through the debris, trying, in vain, to avoid being hit.

"YOU!" The red mech snarled suddenly, the taunting smirk and his aura of smugness vanishing in a nanosecond. "You have scratched my paint!" Raw fury was burning in his crimson optics.

"I..." The blue and grey mech stiffened, his chuckles cut short with a sharp intake of air. "I-I... wasn't... it was not my intention..." The red mech unsheathed an energy rod and made it spin as he lunged for his enemy, giving a furious howl. "I am sorry!"

Eleonor cringed as she saw Breakdown being chased by a very dangerous and very pissed off medic.

"Poor Breakdown." She murmured, honest concern written on her face. "Will he be alright?"

"Of course he will. He's a tough mech." Frenzy replied, waving his little servos in the air with a dismissive gesture. "Knock Out will make him suffer though." He grinned. Next to him, Ravage gave a long yawn before curling around Eleonor and leaning his head on his forepaws.

The two symbionts were keeping her company while they watched the medic and his assistant spar in the training grounds. Knock Out had insisted in that she should learn, if not to combat, at least to defend herself.

"Hey, little Decepticon!" A harsh voice saluted them from behind.

"Brawl!" She saluted back with a polite nod. Brawl was huge, heavy armored, well armed and with an undeniable taste for violence, but he was not hostile to her. In fact, one thing he enjoyed was the gossip Eleonor frequently brought about the Autobots from Earth. "Are you finally developing a liking for combat? I should bring you to the arena!" He roared a laugh, taking a seat next to the small group but still dwarfing them.

"Knock Out wanted me to watch and learn." Eleonor replied, sparing a glance at the medic and his assistant and immediately regretting it. The red medic was not being light with his punishment. "Although I must admit that I am scared just to watch." She flinched when she heard a pained cry coming from Breakdown.

"I can't see how watching is going to make you learn." Brawl huffed, shaking his helm. "You should jump into the combat area and spar with me so I can teach you some good moves!" He said, emphasizing his point with a punch to the air.

Eleonor cringed at the mere thought, and Frenzy burst into giggles beside her, amused by her terrified expression.

"And I can't see how accidentally crushing her in a sparring session would help her, Brawl." A deep and smooth voice spoke suddenly.

Eleonor turned to see a mech she didn't know yet. He was approximately the same height as Ratchet, and was painted in a dull shade of greenish-yellow with dark purple details. He walked with elegance despite his considerable armor, and had very large and very curious violet optics. The young woman tensed briefly when his optics focused on her, although neither Frenzy nor Ravage had made any movement to signal their discomfort.

"Sorry for my friend's manners." He said, leaning casually against Brawl. The other mech gave an indignant huff. "I'm Swindle." He introduced himself, pointing to his chest with a thumb while offering a disarming smile.

"Hello. I'm Eleonor. Please to meet you." She replied, as politely as she could. She didn't know that mech or what to expect from him, but Eleonor was friendly and polite with anyone by default.

"That's a nice exo-suit you have." He observed, his curious optics scanning the woman and making her feel a little uncomfortable. "I didn't know Earth technology was so advanced."

"Well, actually, it isn't from Earth." She admitted. "Shockwave built it."

"Really?" Swindle's optics brightened with an unidentifiable gleam. "Such a nice piece of tech..." He hummed, deep in thought. "Anyway!" He exclaimed suddenly, snapping out of his thoughts. "If you want to learn how to defend yourself, and learn it _safely_, I have a little device that could be helpful to you. It's a small Vandarian holographic projector. It can be used to create an enemy illusion. You could train in your evasive movements with it, and it's harmless because it's a hologram." He explained, his tone smooth and alluring as he listed the advantages of training with holograms. "And it can be yours for a reasonable price." He almost purred, offering his most charming smile.

"I...huh..." Eleonor hesitated, while the small silver symbiont muffled his giggles beside her.

"Swindle!" Knock Out's voice said suddenly, his tone still harsh and angered after the sparring. Everyone stiffened and turned to see the red medic sporting a couple of scratches while Breakdown's frame was marred with scorch marks and dents. It seemed that someone had called them via comm. link as a precautionary measure when Swindle had approached.

"Knock Out! My favourite customer!" The other mech replied smoothly, quickly regaining his composure.

"Keep your business far from the human. She doesn't even have credits to pay you." The medic said harshly.

"Ah, but there are so many other ways of payment besides from money..." He pointed out, which earned him a withering glare from the medic. "Just kidding, just kidding!" He backed off, holding up his two servos in the air.

"You would sell your own motherboard to the highest bidder, Swindle. You can't fool me." The red mech didn't look very convinced yet, but his tone took a less aggressive edge.

"Ouch, you hurt me, Knock Out." Swindle feigned a pout and relaxed a little. "Now, honestly. I mean no harm to the little human. I may have no qualms about my... way of making business, but if there is a thing I respect, it is my team." He continued, his tone lacking the usual alluring edge. "And I have not forgotten that she helped Starscream to rebuild the Allspark, which was used to bring Brawl back." He patted the huge mech's arm for emphasis. "I feel it's me who is in debt to her... and, as the good dealer I am, I don't like been in debt... So, if you need anything, just ask right away, okay?" He finished, looking down at the human, regaining his salesman voice and his disarming smile, this time, adorning his offer with a wink.

"Eleonor." Frenzy patted the woman on a shoulder. "I'd suggest you to treasure that debt forever if that keeps you on the good side of Swindle's deals." The small symbiont smirked briefly.

"Aww, you are so mean." Swindle pouted, but it was all theatrics.

"So, you are like some kind of... dealer?" Eleonor asked, starting to get the hint about Swindle's business.

"I buy. I sell. I don't ask questions." He summarized his deals with just three simple sentences. Eleonor raised a single eyebrow. Something told her that Swindle's deals weren't always precisely _legal_.

"And what are you doing here?" The medic turned to address Swindle again.

"Megatron called my team to the Palace, but we haven't been informed about the reason yet." He replied, his big violet optics focusing on Knock Out and his assistant. "Do you know something?"

"I think he's preparing a mission of sorts." The red mech shrugged and half-lied. Of course he knew, but he didn't want to ruin the surprise. "I'm sure we will be debriefed soon."

Swindle nodded, content for the moment.

"So, are you going to teach this little fleshling to... _fight_?" Swindle smirked.

"Of course not. I'm teaching her to _dance_." Knock Out returned the smirk. "Well, what did you learn?" He asked, shifting his attention to Eleonor.

"Huh... that one must pay attention to his surroundings when moving to avoid an attack... and to never, _ever_, mess with your finish."

"Good girl!" The medic replied, regaining his cocky attitude, one servo on his hip. Breakdown sighed in misery. "Time for you to stop looking and start moving." He grinned, offering her a servo to stand upon. Once she had climbed, he headed to the training ground. "Ravage, would you assist us?" He asked, turning back to address the feline symbiont.

"Oh, this is going to be highly entertaining." Frenzy murmured, getting comfortable on his seat in the stands.

* * *

><p><em>[Autobot Base, Earth.]<em>

A yellow sports car shot across the Autobot Base landing strip, sometimes used as a test course when no flights were scheduled. It made an impressive skid near the end of the pavement, making its passengers squeal in excitement.

"Woah, 'Bee, that one was very rough! Thank goodness that I didn't eat too much today!" Sam exclaimed between laughter. Mikaela echoed his giggles, running a hand across the door's inner side.

The Camaro finally came to a stop after his last stunt, engines rumbling softly in the quiet afternoon.

"I missed this..." He sighed. "I missed you..." And it was the truth. There had not been a single moment in which he had stopped thinking about his human friends.

"We have missed you too, 'Bee." The girl smiled warmly. That giant alien robot that had scared the life out of them several years ago had become an irreplaceable part of their lives. Neither Sam, nor Mikaela could imagine their everyday life without the yellow scout now.

Bumblebee sank slowly on his tires, and they remained in silence for a while, just enjoying the mutual company.

"And how is that police car from Hell? I hope he's treating you right, or else I'll have some words with him." Mikaela said after a while.

"He's a nice guy deep down." The car replied and paused. "Okay, maybe _very_ deep down. Hidden under layers and layers of Decepticon harshness." He laughed. "But he's honest and has a twisted sense of humor. He's fun to hang around with."

"Then I am happy for you." Sam smiled, patting the dashboard affectionately. Sometimes the boy felt a little guilty on the few occasions he and Mikaela did things alone without including their alien friend. Bumblebee understood it perfectly, and was happy to give them some privacy, but it made Sam feel bad for him anyway.

"Thank you."

"'Bee..." Mikaela said softly, snuggling in her half-reclined seat and hugging her knees to her chest. "Are you..." Her voice quivered. "...are you going to leave again?" She managed to say, hiding her face against the back of seat.

"I... I don't know." A blatant lie. But he didn't have the spark to tell them at that moment. For now, he just wanted to enjoy their company without worrying about the future. "There are still things that need to be done, and Optimus is going to need help. If he requires my assistance, I can't say no."

"I know... you are a soldier, after all." Sam said softly. It hurt, but he could understand. He thought briefly about Sarah Lennox, how she would feel every time Will left her and her daughter to fight in foreign countries. Resigned, because it was his job. Proud, because it was the right thing to do. But terribly scared of losing him.

"You just can't stop saving the world, huh?" Mikaela absently traced the edge of the seat with a finger.

"I suppose I can't." Bumblebee replied, trying to keep the sadness out of his tone. "But I'll come back. I promise."

"Don't be late."

"I won't." The yellow car replied, confidence in his voice. That much he could promise. No matter the distance or the dangers he was about to face. He would always come back to his friends.

"Hey, 'Bee... are you free tonight?" Mikaela asked.

"Yes."

"Then... do you mind it if... I stay here to sleep...?" She breathed against the back of the seat, snuggling to get more comfortable.

"Of course you can."

* * *

><p><em>[Palace of Kaon, Cybertron.]<em>

Knock Out was not one of the biggest mechs in the Decepticon Army. In fact, he was rather small, having one of the lightest frames, designed for agility and speed instead of brute force. But his height of approximately five meters was enough to make Eleonor feel like a bunny in front of a red fox as he stared down at her, with a sober expression.

"You are small and weak." He finally spoke after a long silence.

Eleonor stiffened. Well, that was not precisely what she was expecting to be told, much less in the harsh tone the mech had used. Not that it wasn't true, but she didn't need to be reminded.

With a slight flick of his servo, Knock Out signaled Ravage to go into action. The feline symbiont had been silently sitting beside the red mech until then. Giving a low growl, he jumped in front of Eleonor, adopting a combat stance, his single optic focused on her, jaws partially open, showing his menacing sharp teeth while his tail twitched from side to side.

Scratch that previous metaphor about the bunny and the fox. She was a mouse in front of a cat.

"How would you fight Ravage if he were to attack you?" Knock Out asked, his tone still serious. Ravage started to growl at her.

"I-I don't know..." She stuttered. As if on cue, the Cybertronian panther lunged for her. Eleonor froze with a panicked squeal, but the symbiont stopped a couple of centimeters from his target, and the only thing he did was snap his jaws in front of her face. It was enough, however, to make the woman fall on her ass.

"Great, and you also tend to _freeze_ when you are scared. That's bad." The red mech pointed out.

"I c-can't help it!" She said, rising to a standing position again.

"Then try again. How would you fight Ravage?" He insisted, and the Cybertronian panther, who had retreated, pounced in her direction one more time.

Eleonor gasped and tried to recoil, which only served to make her trip and fall to the floor again. Ravage only had to take one more step to be on her.

"Well, you escaped the pounce but he ended up on you anyway. How would you survive that?"

Ravage descended slowly, his numerous teeth glinting ominously. Eleonor tried to shove him back, pushing with her feet with all her might, but the panther didn't move the slightest.

"I-I can't!" She exclaimed, her tone edged with desperation, not knowing what else she could do to escape her enemy. Of course it was a practice, but the Cybertronian panther could be scary as Hell if he wanted to.

"Correct answer."

Ravage stopped his feigned assault and got off her, returning to stand beside Knock Out.

"Huh?" Eleonor blinked in confusion.

"The first lesson is 'not to be a hero'. If you get caught, you are _dead_." He revealed. "There is no way you can fight against anyone us. Even Frenzy, who is one of the smallest mechs we have, could easily dispatch you with his throwing weapons." He said, his tone calm, not aiming to offend her, just to point out the truth. "You _are not_ a fighter, and you will not fight back. You will do what's necessary to avoid been caught and _survive_."

"Learn to dodge and duck out of the way." She nodded, understanding his point. She was a scientist, not a soldier. Even with some physical training, there was no possible way for an unarmed human to damage a giant being made of metal.

"Look at me." He ordered. "Look at me and tell me what you see."

Eleonor hesitated, wondering if that had been a trick question.

"I see a mech who is smaller than most of his teammates, but very agile and quick." She finally replied.

"What you see here is a medic." He specified. "I am not saying that I am more important than my other comrades in battle, but if I go down, many other lives would be compromised, and that is a failure that I cannot afford. My job is to stay alive so I can help others later." He explained.

Realization hit Eleonor. Knock Out knew, of course, how to defend himself, but he had not been through a war and survived because of his fighting skills, but because of his ability to get out of harm's way and avoid danger.

"I must stay safe and let more capable warriors do their job." She understood.

"Excellent." He purred, pleased with how quickly the woman had gotten the hint. "Now that you know your place, we can begin to work on your evasion skills." He smirked evilly, and unsheathed his combat-rod.

* * *

><p>"Starscream."<p>

The meeting had ended, and Shockwave and Soundwave had departed to take care of their assigned duties. Only Starscream and Megatron had remained in the conference room.

The seeker had his back turned while he idly stared through one of the windows. At the city of Kaon below him, at the dark sky above... it didn't matter. He was not paying attention anyway. His mind was elsewhere, stuck in a distant time, old deeds haunting him.

"Starscream. Don't make me repeat myself." Megatron growled, his tone adopting a dangerous edge. The seeker stiffened, as if physically struck by his Leader's voice, and turned to face him. "What happened at those coordinates?"

"Nothing happened." The beige mech finally replied, but his voice was still distant.

"Let me rephrase that. What happened _to you_ at those coordinates?" Megatron's patience was starting to wear thin.

"..."

"Don't make me order Soundwave to extract old data files from the archives. I am sure that a cross-search with your name and those coordinates will bring up something revealing." Megatron said sternly. A soft growl escaped the seeker's vocalizer. "I will find out either way, but I think you would prefer explaining it by yourself." He stated coldly. "Now, _speak_."

Starscream looked away for a moment, his fists clenching.

"I... lost someone there." He finally revealed.

Megatron raised an optic ridge.

"And judging from what I can see, you never got over it."

"Oh, give me a break, would you?" Starscream's voice sounded crossed between annoyed and exhausted. He had just saved everyone's afts and his Leader thanked him being demanding and impatient.

"Every one of us has lost someone through the course of the War, and we have moved on. I can't see why this case would be any different." Megatron's tone softened almost imperceptibly. "What else happened?" The Decepticon Leader knew that Starscream was a tough, battle hardened mech. Something else would have happened if what took place on that planet affected him so deeply.

The seeker growled slightly, locking his gaze into his Leader's and glowering at him for a while. Megatron kept his stance resolute and stern. He would find out sooner or later.

"It was before the War." Starscream finally spoke, displeasure evident in his voice. "Actually, shortly before the War started." He paused, his expression changing into a slight frown. "We were on an exploration mission." He balled his right servo into a fist. "The weather changed suddenly, and I lost him in a storm. The atmospheric conditions fooled my scanners and sensors... I couldn't find him..." Starscream gave a humorless chuckle. "Oh, the irony. The Leader of the Seekers couldn't find a fellow teammate."

"Why didn't you come back for help?"

"Don't you think I tried?" Starscream hissed, angry at the question. "I appealed to the whole High Council, but they wouldn't listen to me. They were too busy preparing for a... _certain war_. They didn't want to waste valuable resources looking for a mech that was very likely dead by then." He explained, his voice oozing poison. The mechs that had denied him the help were long gone, but the damage they had caused remained.

Megatron reflected on Starscream's story for a while, weighing their options and his Second's possible courses of action. He knew the seeker could be very stubborn when he got insistent on something.

"Are you planning to look for him?" The Decepticon Leader finally asked, his tone wary. If the seeker was going to change his plans anyway, he preferred to be previously informed.

Starscream looked away for a long moment, lost in his thoughts, before answering.

"I know very well what are our priorities right now." He replied, with a defeated aura. Find the weapons. Stop Unicron. Save everyone. "But..." He gave a dramatic pause. "...You must know that we didn't approach to investigate that planet because of nothing. He picked up a strange _signal_. Something that we had not seen before..." He trailed off.

"Coincidence or destiny?" Megatron hummed.

"I do not believe in either of them. But I believe in statistics, and I have been running numbers... and there is a very high chance of that signal being related to what we are looking for." Starscream explained.

"Do you think... he is still alive after all this time?"

"Well..." The seeker gave a hint of a smirk. "You survived similar conditions on Earth for almost the same time."

Megatron plopped on his seat in a very un-leader like fashion, his fore-helm coming to rest on his servo.

"Don't tell me it's an ice-planet." The huge silver mech said grimly.

"It's not an ice-planet."

Megatron cursed loudly his ability to see through his Second in Command's lies.

* * *

><p><em>[Autobot Base, Earth.]<em>

"Optimus Prime!" An indignant voice screeched, entering Optimus's office and making the usually collected Autobot Leader visibly flinch. "I can't believe you've done it _again_! This is... this is outrageous!"

"Miss Mearing." The blue and red mech saluted with a polite nod, regaining his composure as he looked down to address the enraged woman.

"You dare bringing another ship to our planet without our consent!" She blatantly ignored any respect and formalities as she swept an arm towards the colossal spaceship innocently docked next to the Autobot facilities, visible from the office's windows.

"I am deeply sorry, but we were in a hurry to come back." Optimus apologized, trying to pacify the woman. "I must also point out that this case is very different from last time."

"Different how?" She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest, refusing to cool down despite the mech's best efforts to sound reassuring.

"This is an Autobot ship, and no Decepticons have came to Earth with us." He explained.

Something in the Director of National Intelligence's mind clicked.

"You left with the Decepticons. In their vessel. And you came back in your own." She said, more a statement than a question. She was silent for a while, watching a steady flow of giant alien robots going in and out of the ship, carrying supplies and equipment. Then, what Optimus had said caught up with her. "You said you were in a hurry. Did the Decepticons turn against you again?" Her tone shifting from enraged to concerned, her brow furrowing as she looked up at the Autobot Leader.

"No. Everything is fine with the Decepticons." He replied, reassuringly, kneeling to be closer to her. "But other... _pressing matters_ have arisen. We are leaving tomorrow."

The woman's mind struggled to keep up with the news. The Autobots had returned and were leaving again so soon? Mearing could be strict and cold in her job, but she still had a glimmer of empathy, if not for the Autobots, for her own kind. After all, Earth had been the victim of collateral damage two times because of Cybertronian conflicts so far.

"How serious are these... _pressing matters_? In a scale from one to ten?" She asked, already fearing the answer.

"Eleven." Optimus voice replied grimly.

"And how big? Like, planetary-scale?"

"Universal-scale." He replied, bluntly. No use in hiding the truth. He knew the woman could bear the truth and handle the information accordingly.

Mearing stood in silence for a while, her mind racing through the possibilities.

"Is Earth in danger?"

"The conflict is far from here, and Earth is unlikely to be affected."

"Unlikely, but not impossible." Mearing had noticed Optimus's choice of words.

"We will take care of the problem."

Mearing gaped, at a loss for words for the first time in front of the red and blue mech.

"And that's all? You are telling us to step aside, to stay here and wait, trusting that you will be able to fix everything? Do you really expect us to stand idly while you fight?" Her fists tightened, her voice taking an indignant edge.

Optimus regarded her for a long time, finding her frustration justified.

"I'm afraid your kind will not be able to help this time. Humans are poorly suited for space travel." He sighed through his vents. "Your people have greatly aided mine. Please, let us return the favor."

"Offering asylum certainly can't compare to saving a planet." She stated, her voice cold despite the inherent concern in it. "Are you all leaving?"

"No, only a select team. The rest will remain here and keep you informed about our whereabouts and status."

The old woman huffed in discomfort. It seemed that she had nothing to say in the Autobot Leader's decisions. This whole issue was out of her league, and she hated it. She hated to be powerless and helpless.

Mearing turned to leave without even saying goodbye, as she usually did when she was angry, but stopped at the door-frame.

"Let me know if you need something." She added, without turning back.

"I need you to trust us." Optimus spoke softly, but he doubted that Mearing had heard him, because she was already heading down the corridor, her high heels echoing in the distance.

* * *

><p><em>[Palace of Kaon, Cybertron.]<em>

Starscream strode silently through the halls and corridors of the Palace, still engrossed with the conversation he had just had with Megatron. He had not described that failed mission in detail, but he was sure that Soundwave would 'fill in the blanks' for him. He didn't want to be reminded of that incident. However, his processors were not obeying him at that moment, and he couldn't help but retrieve some memory files about that fateful day... about _him_.

_Skyfire._

The name sounded distant. Unfamiliar.

Of course Starscream had not forgotten him, but it had been so long since he had thought about his former mission partner that a foreign feeling spread through his processors when he recalled him. Guilt? Remorse? The seeker couldn't put a finger on it.

The High Council had denied him the permission to assemble a team to rescue Skyfire, or his remains. But all that happened a long time ago. At that moment, and for a long time, Starscream had the excuse of the War, but after that, what? What had stopped him from looking for his old mission partner? Things had changed over the years, and he was now the Decepticon Second in Command. It would have taken him only a flick of one servo to prepare a ship and a search and rescue crew.

'I have no excuse,' he scolded himself.

He didn't know for certain if Skyfire was alive after all those years trapped in that frozen planet, but there was always a possibility. What if he was alive? What would Skyfire say if they managed to rescue him? Would he be happy? Would he be mad for the lateness of his rescue? Would he resent Starscream for leaving him there in the first place?

The seeker cursed himself. Irreverent and traitorous he could be sometimes, but he had never lost a mech under his direct command, except Skyfire. That had been a stain on his career that he had never been able to forget.

Only one mech. A simple exploration mission. It should have been an easy task. It shouldn't have ended up so wrong.

'I should have stopped you when I had the chance. I should have insisted further to the High Council. I should have assembled a rescue team on my own... I should have done... something.' A myriad of possible courses of action crossed his processors. Things he should have done, but never did, laced with a bitter sense of guilt. And anger. Anger at himself for not doing them at the right time.

A series of cheers caught his attention, distracting him from his train of thought. He looked at the entrance he had just passed by. The training grounds. Raising an optical ridge, he silently stepped into the open area.

Skywarp and Thundercracker were in the arena, exchanging blows that missed their target by barely centimetres while dodging counterattacks. In the stands, Knock Out was buffing some scratches on his armor under the intent stare of Breakdown. Brawl was, of course, looking at the sparring seekers and shouting profanities, while Swindle chatted animatedly with Eleonor. Frenzy and Ravage were next to her, as they usually were, guarding her almost all of time. Starscream didn't know if they did it under Soundwave's orders or because they simply enjoyed the human's company.

The beige seeker smirked to himself. Eleonor really had a way with the dangerous Decepticons, with her easy-going nature and gentle temperament. And the more he thought about it, the more she reminded him of Skyfire. Devoted to science, calm and restrained, with an inherent kindness difficult to understand in a world ruled by war for so many years. If they managed to rescue Skyfire alive, Starscream was sure that the two would get along well.

"Commander Starscream!" Swindle exclaimed suddenly, pulling the seeker from his thoughts. "We didn't hear you coming."

Starscream grinned inwardly. He was getting better at appearing out of the blue and catching everyone by surprise. Maybe he was turning into Megatron? Pits, no. With a mental shake of his helm, he quickly dismissed the idea.

"Just checking if everything is in order." He leaned casually against the wall, and his gaze drifted to the woman. "Is my pet bothering you?" He asked with a slight growl in his tone that actually translated into 'if you so much as touch my human against her will, you are going to lose a limb'.

"On the contrary," Swindle was quick to soothe the seeker. "She was teaching me the ways of human commerce and economy. I must admit they have a quite interesting system of dividing up a company's value in 'shares' among its members. I am sure we could use something like that here on Cybertron, now that we are settling down after the War and new business and necessities are arising." He tapped his chin-plates in a thoughtful gesture, his optics brightening mischievously as he thought about new ways of making profit.

"You," Starscream pointed to Eleonor, making her almost jump. "Stop giving him ideas." His tone stern, but with a half smirk adorning his features.

"Sooo," Skywarp suddenly appeared next to his trine-leader. "How did the meeting with Megatron go?"

"Like the Pit." Starscream growled. "I am in serious need of shooting something." He half-joked.

At that precise instant, every-mech stiffened briefly as they received a ping from Soundwave and a short message.

"It seems that your shooting will have to wait." Thundercracker said, approaching the other mechs.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, all the mechs that had been summoned by Soundwave were waiting in the main conference room, a big hall with a stand at the end from where Megatron could address his soldiers. The Decepticon Leader had not arrived yet, so the mechs stood in formation, more or less quietly chatting among themselves, the main theme in their conversations being the reason of the meeting.<p>

Eleonor took a moment to glance around her from her spot in Thundercracker's right servo. All the Decepticons that she already knew were there, and many others that she didn't know yet. Starscream was at one side of the stand with Soundwave, quietly analyzing the crowd.

It was not long before Megatron appeared, closely followed by Shockwave. The troops fell silent as their Lord and Leader strode leisurely towards the stand, radiating confidence and resolve. Once he reached his destination, he turned to regard his soldiers for a long time, taking in every single one of his chosen mechs.

"Are you happy?" He finally spoke, his tone harsh and serious, servos clasped behind his back. Everymech looked back at him in different levels of shock. Well, that had been a very unexpected question. "You can answer honestly." His voice softening the tiniest bit.

"Happy about what exactly?" Brawl asked, voicing the question that everyone had in mind.

"With what you have finally achieved after so many years of war and suffering." Megatron stated simply.

The mechs looked at each other for a while, until someone spoke.

"I sometimes miss the action, but I'm getting used to it."

"And it feels good to be able to do something else besides fighting. I, particularly, am quite pleased with my bar."

"I'm getting famous at the arena."

"And I'm studying mechanical engineering. I always wanted to be an engineer before the War."

"Though I sometimes miss scrapping some Autobots."

"Yeah, but Cybertron is ours!"

Megatron let them voice their opinions, silently paying attention to every comment.

"So, I take it that you are more or less pleased with our current situation?" He said, after the murmurs started to fade out. A collective wave of nods was his reply. "Can I also assume that you wish to remain like this?" Another wave of nods. Megatron was silent for several dramatic seconds before speaking again. "What will you be willing to do in order to remain like this, to enjoy the fruits of your labor?"

"Anything." Was the general answer.

"Is something threatening our current social welfare state, Lord Megatron?" Onslaught asked, his mind sharper than the average.

The Decepticon Leader nodded gravely.

"A couple of weeks ago we made a discovery that has lead us to unveiling a very serious menace. One that many of you would probably label as 'mythological' or 'from sparkling tales', but that has proven to be quite real. I am speaking about..." He gave a long pause. "..._Unicron_." The room burst into murmurs of disbelief. Many of them didn't even believe in the ancient writings. "Half of you have already been witness to his power. The other half, I can only ask you to believe me, but I assure you, this menace is very real."

To prove his words, Megatron switched on a huge screen on the wall behind him, displaying several images provided by the mechs that were present at the events. They showed the core of Vector Sigma when it had been corrupted by Unicron's essence. The tendrils of dark energy pinning them down. The empowered form of Tarantulas, taking Optimus' blaster...

"Wait, what were the Autobots doing here?"

"When were these pictures taken?"

"Three solar cycles ago. I requested Optimus Prime's assistance and he agreed." Megatron admitted, without any glint of guilt.

The room fell deadly silent.

"Yes. I worked with my former enemy for several days in order to preserve the well-being of my planet and my followers." Megatron replied to the unspoken question lingering in the air that had suddenly become thick with tension.

"And you didn't scrap him later?"

"I would have been a fool to do it. He is of more use to me alive than dead." The Decepticon Leader replied, secretly proud of his answer. That argument gave the impression that he was taking advantage of his alliance with the Autobots.

"So, when you were asking us about what would we be willing to do in order to assure our current social welfare state...?" Motormaster started to ask, but his Leader cut him off.

"Our chances of success against Unicron would be significantly increased if we were to cooperate with the Autobots." Megatron said coldly. "If I have been able to do it, I am sure you can too." He added to encourage them. "This is a very important mission. The fate of our whole race is at stake, and I won't tolerate any past grudge compromising it. So, this time I am not ordering you. I am _asking_ you if you are willing to assist me on this task. If you can't put your differences behind you for your own future's sake, I don't need you on this team."

Megatron could always order them around, but he wanted his soldiers to truly understand the necessity of cooperation between the two factions and working for the greater good. The mechs exchanged several doubtful glances, murmuring among themselves, questioning their Leader's sanity and their options.

"I hate the Autobots, but I'll hate even more losing my home to some evil deity." Brawl said, his tone resolute.

"Then you'll need me to keep an eye on Brawl. He has an easy trigger." Onslaught said calmly, his face-mask and visor hiding a smirk.

"A truce with the Autobots! What a marvellous occasion to expand my market!" Swindle positively beamed.

"I vas getting bored of having nozing to do here anyvay." Blitzwing said, his cold personality reigning him at that moment.

"I suppose the bar can wait for a little while until this issue is resolved." Motormaster said, crossing his arms across his chest-plates.

"Why let death come to us when we can go directly to find it? If we are all doomed anyway, let it be quick." Dead End said, with his usual gloomy aura.

Megatron looked at his soldiers with pride in his spark. With these new mechs and the other team that had come to Earth with him the last time, his team was ready to face any challenge.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** I must confess that this chapter looks a little boring even for me, but it was a necessary transition chapter. I am sorry if you don't enjoy it. I also want to apologize for the delay. Real life has been difficult lately (a mix of final exams, looking for a new house, putting all my things in boxes ready for the moving, etc), and it may have affected my muses too. But I promise that the next chapter will be better, with some Eleonor being smart and scientific instead of a burden :D

**PD:** Thanks to Angelcakes19 for beta-reading this!


	29. Unspoken

Chapter 29: Unspoken

The Nemesis and the Ark floated, weightless, surrounded by a cold sea of darkness. The Decepticon warship was barely distinguishable from its surroundings, its matte black finish blending into the void. The only hints that gave away its shape were the dark purple details that glowed softly from various seams along its hull. The Autobot vessel, in contrast, was a small gold nugget in a sea of stars, the polished metal reflecting easily the smallest source of light.

Both faction leaders had agreed to meet in a neutral area of space, so that they could reach an agreement about which ship would visit which coordinates first. After that was done, the two vessels were aligned and linked with a passageway.

The moment of the mech exchange had arrived.

The Ark's crew would consist of Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ratchet, Blaster and his three symbionts, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Silverbolt, Air Raid, Drift and Bumblebee, with the Decepticon additions of Onslaught, Thundercracker, Swindle, Dead End and Barricade. Alpha Trion and Chaindrive were going to travel with them too, because the first one wanted to know more about the Autobot Leader, and the second one wanted to meet as many people as he could.

The Nemesis' crew would consist of Megatron, Soundwave and his symbionts, Shockwave, Starscream, Skywarp, Blitzwing, Knock Out, Breakdown, Motormaster and Brawl, with the Autobot additions of Ironhide, Breakaway, Mirage, Jazz and Blurr. Eleonor was travelling with them too.

* * *

><p>"I strongly disapprove of your volunteering for the exchange." Prowl said, trying to mask his concern behind his formal demeanour.<p>

"Ya know they need me, Prowler." The sleek silver mech replied, stepping closer, deliberately invading the other mech's personal space, a gesture he only did in private. "Those 'Cons don't know how ta be subtle, and Ah can be a great asset in dat aspect." He added, dimming half his visor in his version of a wink. Jazz could be a very good-natured mech, with a great sense of humour and a seemingly careless aura, but in combat he was an expert in sabotage and special ops, and he definitely knew how to defend himself. A true one mech army.

Prowl knew all of this, and even his simulated scenarios told him that it was the logical thing to do in order to improve the mission's chance of success, but for the first time, his spark was in blatant disagreement with his processors.

The black and white mech shuttered his optics for a brief moment, vents cycling slowly, wing-doors dropping almost imperceptibly. There were so many things he wanted to say, but the words kept getting stuck in his vocalizer and refused to come out.

"Just don't do anything reckless... And come back safely." He finally said, resting one servo on Jazz's shoulder.

"Da first thing ya know Ah can't promise... but ya can be sure of da second one." Jazz replied, mimicking Prowl's gesture and resting a servo on the other mech's shoulder, holding his glance for a long minute, unspoken emotions flowing in between them.

* * *

><p>Onslaught stared sternly at his teammate, expression unreadable behind his mask and visor. Brawl had stopped him on his way to the passageway that linked the two vessels.<p>

"You said you came to keep an optic on me and my 'easy trigger' tendencies and now you are leaving with those softy Autobots." Brawl snorted indignantly, leaning on a wall.

"Those Autobots, as you so accurately have put it, are a bunch of softies. They could really use some heavy firepower like mine, with earth-air capabilities." Onslaught explained, his visor brightening almost imperceptibly with a glint of irritation. "And I trust that you will behave properly under Lord Megatron's threat of kicking out of the ship any mech who jeopardizes this mission."

"Hmpf. I've always worked better under promises of _reward _than under threats." Brawl said, sulking.

Onslaught was silent for a brief moment before replying, his expression still unreadable behind his mask and visor, but with a smirk in his tone.

"We shall see..." And he turned to leave.

Brawl grinned, and turned to walk in the opposite direction, the unspoken promise enough for him.

* * *

><p>Quietly leaning against a wall, faceplates set in a grim expression, a white figure observed the group of Autobots walking towards the entrance of the passageway linking the two ships. Though he was not trying to hide himself, he was standing in the least conspicuous place he could find, trying not to stand out too much.<p>

"Having second thoughts about all this?" A voice spoke from beside him, startling the white mech out of his thoughts.

Turning to his right, he discovered the Autobot medic standing next to him. The white mech shook his helm slowly in silent reply. He wasn't one to speak unless necessary.

"You know, you can still go with them." Ratchet's voice softened slightly.

Another slow shake of the white helm, this time, accompanied by a small frown. The medic sighed softly through his vents.

"I can only imagine what it must be like for you to be here, considering your... _past_." The medic shifted imperceptibly closer. "Why did you volunteer to come? You could have remained on Earth if you wanted to." Ratchet insisted.

The white mech hesitated for a moment, his optics dimming briefly with the shadow of doubt, weighing if speaking his mind would solve anything, but he finally declined the idea and remained in silence, glaring at some distant point. Ratchet sighed again, knowing that he wasn't going to get anything from the other mech. Then again, he had a slight idea of what was affecting him.

"Listen, you don't have to prove anything,-"

"You don't know what it is like... to be _me_." The white mech finally spoke, a little harshly, cutting off the medic, his voice deep but smooth, with a slight Japanese accent due to his usual outpost on Earth. "For every sin I have made, I must pay _double_. For every life I have extinguished, I must save _two_." He said quietly. "_This_, is my final chance of redemption, Ratchet." He whispered, locking his optics onto the medic.

Ratchet held the other mech's gaze for a long moment. He could understand his point of view, although he didn't share it.

"Stop punishing yourself so hard, Drift. It will only bring you suffering." He finally said, before walking away in his Leader's direction.

* * *

><p>Starscream and Silverbolt stood in front of each other, optics locked, stances tense, wings stiff behind their backs, flaps twitching ever so slightly. They both were very protective of their brothers, so this exchange was especially hard for them.<p>

Thundercracker and Breakaway, in contrast, seemed much more relaxed on their spots next to their respective team leaders. The seeker sported a calm and collected expression, while the aerialbot was almost bouncing in excitement.

The remaining fliers, also had different demeanors. Skywarp was looking back and forth between their leaders, unsure of what to do. Air Raid was blatantly glaring daggers at Starscream, his hatred for the Decepticon Air Commander difficult to ignore.

It was Starscream who finally broke the long silence, his voice solemn as he recalled an ancient oath he had made thousands of years ago. Words that were never pronounced in vain and weighed even heavier in his spark than the Decepticon oath.

_"Against the storms and through the winds, no matter the weather,_  
><em>no matter if the daylight shines or the night lasts forever,<em>  
><em>I will protect my trine.<em>  
><em>The ground might fade and the empires might fall,<em>  
><em>kings will follow one another like twilight to dawn,<em>  
><em>but I will protect my trine,<em>  
><em>because I am their leader, and we stay together.<em>  
><em>For as long as there is sky, trines are forever."<em>

Silverbolt's optics brightened in surprise, recognizing the words and the hidden message that the Decepticon Air Commander had wanted to transmit with them. From now on, Starscream was going to take the old oath _literally_. He was no longer going to make any distinction between seekers and aerialbots. He was going to treat Breakaway like his own trine-mate, and he expected Silverbolt to do the same.

"You know, all these years and the words haven't changed in the slightest. I made the same exact oath." The leader of the aerialbots smiled very faintly, never breaking optic contact with Starscream. "Breakaway, go with Starscream and obey his command as you follow mine. Make him proud."

Breakaway nodded with resolve, and moved to be at the seeker's side.

"I'll take care of him as I do my own brothers." Starscream said reassuringly, before addressing his trine-mate. "Thundercracker, your patience and integrity are far above those of any other mech I've met. Go with Silverbolt, and make him proud."

Thundercracker nodded solemnly, and strode leisurely towards the aerialbot.

* * *

><p>Optimus and Megatron observed quietly the exchange of mechs, some of them were happier than others, but no one was complaining.<p>

"I hope the tension eases a bit in the next few days." The Autobot Leader said, discreetly glancing at Ironhide, who was standing next to Shockwave.

"It will." Megatron replied, his optics scanning the moving mechs. "You said Mirage was coming with us too?"

"Yes. I think you will find his cloaking skills very useful." Optimus nodded.

"And where is he now?"

In response, the air next to the Autobot Leader seemed to distort, and suddenly, a sleek red mech appeared next to him.

"Al vostro servizio, Signore Megatron." Mirage bowed respectfully and stood at attention.

Megatron raised an optic ridge as he studied the red Autobot.

"Please, mi scusi. I spent a lot of time in an outpost in the Earth country of Italy and picked up the local language. Sometimes I unintentionally mix it with English." Mirage added, with a small apologetic smile.

"That's hardly a problem." Megatron replied dismissively. Identity crisis? Trigger-happy issues? The Chaos-Bringer threatening their existence? A different slang was the least of his problems. "Welcome aboard, but don't sneak up on me." He warned with a cruel grin.

Mirage bowed respectfully again, and moved elegantly towards the Decepticon side. His old enemies still unsettled him, but he could deal with that. And if things got too overwhelming, he could just 'disappear' for a while and pretend he wasn't there.

* * *

><p>"Oh, come on, I can't be the only one who is actually happy with the exchange, now, can I?" Swindle said, walking towards the Autobot side, dragging Dead End along with him.<p>

"Easy to say for you." Dead End murmured. "You are expanding your market. The rest of us are going to be cannon fodder."

"Don't be so gloomy. See Barricade over there? He's also happy to come along."

"By the Allspark, a happy Barricade! We are all going to die!" Dead End continued with his train of thought.

Barricade, who was nearby, shot Swindle a glare.

"And what makes you think I'm happy with this nonsense?" The black and white mech growled.

"Well, you certainly don't look happy, but you haven't complained, and Primus knows you are constantly complaining about everything! So, I have deduced that you aren't actually so upset." Swindle replied, optics gleaming bright violet as he studied the black and white mech, who was snarling softly. "So, what's your secret?"

Barricade inwardly cursed the arms dealer and his keen analytical mind. He was about to tell the other mech to go and frag himself when Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's cheers interrupted him.

"Welcome aboard, Barricade!" The golden twin grinned.

"We are sorry, we didn't bring any bush for you to ram into them." The silver one added with a smirk.

"Ha, ha." Barricade drawled humorlessly. "Laugh all you want. But I won that race..." Then, he glanced sideways to Bumblebee, who was standing nearby, trying not to look very obvious, but certainly failing. "...And the prize..." He added to himself.

The yellow scout's expressive optics brightened when he looked at the police mech, unspoken affection gleaming in them.

Barricade cursed again. The yellow idiot couldn't keep a poker-face. He could foresee their secret being a short-lived one.

* * *

><p>Blurr, for his part, was already in the Decepticon side, appeared to have claimed a spot next to Soundwave, and was covering him with questions and praises.<p>

"By the way, I never had the chance to congratulate you for that absolutely awesome performance at the party! Jazz and Blaster usually challenge each other, but you are on a whole different level! And speaking of levels, how many decks does the Nemesis have? We have a bet running about which ship is actually bigger, oh! And they also say that you can control every security camera in the ship simultaneously, is that true? I bet it is. I'm sure one has to be very talented to be the Decepticon Third in Command for so long. And I'm curious, does Megatron enjoy listening to music? I mean, come on, even Optimus likes several human entertainments, especially sports, I wonder if Megatron has picked a hobby too..."

Soundwave stood stoically paying attention to the blue mech's rant. Not that he could interject a word anyway.

He definitely was a good listener.

* * *

><p>"Hiya, fellas." Jazz grinned as he walked until he was standing next to Knock Out, who he had befriended during the party at the Autobot Base, where they had been co-presenters.<p>

"Hi!" The decepticon medic replied with a smirk, waving a servo in the air.

Breakdown nodded politely from his usual spot, behind Knock Out, being his shadow, always ready to shield his partner from any potential danger.

Looking at the Autobot end of the passageway, Breakdown couldn't help but notice two icy blue optics locked intently in his direction. Prowl was looking at him...? No, not at him. At Jazz. He looked at the sleek silver mech next to his medic, and then back to the Autobot police mech.

And Breakdown recognized the look in Prowl's optics. It was the same look that he himself had when looking at Knock Out from where he couldn't protect him, worried and stressed because he couldn't be near his partner to keep him from harm's way. The blue and grey mech understood at that moment what he had in common with the Autobot Second in Command: they both had someone special in their lives.

Prowl was letting Jazz travel aboard a former enemy ship with a crew composed mainly of former enemies, something that even Breakdown would have never agreed to. The huge blue and grey mech felt a sudden surge of sympathy for the Autobot strategist.

While Jazz and Knock Out chatted animatedly, Breakdown moved discreetly until his shadow was looming over both smaller mechs in a protective gesture. Prowl's glance shifted from Jazz to meet his golden optics, first with concern, and then with surprise when he understood the meaning behind the Decepticon's gesture.

He understood his worry, and he was going to do anything in his power to keep both mechs from harm.

Prowl's stance relaxed the slightest, silent gratitude gleaming in his optics as Breakdown nodded with resolve.

* * *

><p>Eleonor was politely standing out of the way, accompanied by Ravage and Frenzy. She had been quietly observing the exchange of mechs, and the fliers' display had caught her attention.<p>

"This seems to have been especially difficult for Starscream and Silverbolt." She mused aloud.

"Fliers are... kind of special." Frenzy offered. "Maybe it's because of all the extra sensors they have, or the flight instincts, or the great processor capacity they dedicate to complex trajectory vectors... but they tend to have strong personalities, and sometimes even some... issues. That's why they traditionally bond in trines, to help balance each other." He explained. "The members of a trine are especially close. It's more like a family rather than a team. Starscream and Silverbolt, particularly, are very possessive and protective about their brothers. That's why this is so difficult for them. Trines are supposed to be together." Frenzy crossed his tiny arms. "Starscream takes this to the point of refusing to obey Megatron if his orders are in conflict with the well-being of his trine-mates."

The young woman listened intently to Frenzy's explanations. There were many Cybertronian social customs unknown to her yet, but little by little, she was starting to unveil the mysteries that surrounded the powerful alien race.

Eleonor was also sure that this quest to search for the fragments of the legendary Star Saber will unveil many more secrets and mysteries.

"Eleonor." The gentle and wise voice of the Librarian pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up at the old Prime, Chaindrive standing next to him. "We are travelling with Optimus too. I wish to know more about the youngest Prime."

"Too bad. You gave good advice." Frenzy regretted, shaking his little helm. "Can't you learn about him from the history records?"

"The history records are useful and important, but they can't hold all the complexity that is a mech. First-hand experience is always invaluable." Alpha Trion explained. "If I'd had to make do with _only_ what the records said about Megatron, I would have missed a lot of things. A lot of good things in fact."

"Ancient and wise, but still eager to learn more." Eleonor smiled at the old mech. "You are an example to us all."

"It's never late to learn new things. It makes me feel younger." The Librarian returned a gentle smile.

"And Chaindrive, stop worrying. Everything will get better. You'll see." She said reassuringly, turning to address the other mech.

"I'm sure I will feel better as soon as we find the rest of my brothers." He smiled weakly. "In any case, it has been a pleasure to meet you. I hope we see each other again soon."

"You can be sure of that too." She winked. "And I will have a lot of questions about how a combiner-team works. My curiosity knows no bounds."

Chaindrive laughed heartily. Certainly, it was never too late or too soon to learn new things.

* * *

><p>A while later, once the crew members had been properly divided, the passageway linking the Ark and the Nemesis was retracted, leaving the two spaceships drifting in opposite directions. They needed to put a security distance between them before warping to their respective destinations.<p>

Megatron, Shockwave, Soundwave and Ironhide were at the main bridge when the communications terminal pinged with an incoming transmission. Soundwave accepted it, and wirelessly patched it through the biggest monitor. The image of Optimus Prime appeared in the video feed.

"Good luck, Megatron." He said, his face-plates set in a resolved expression, his deep voice deadly serious.

"Good luck, Optimus. We'll keep in contact." The Decepticon Leader nodded in acknowledgement and cut the connection. Then, he turned to look through the bridge's windows at the Ark. The rest of the mechs with him did the same. The Autobot ship moved away until it was a small golden speck on the horizon, and was suddenly engulfed by arcs of white-blue light that increased in brightness and intensity until they climaxed into a blinding flash of searing white light.

After that, the Ark was gone.

"Soundwave, ready the Nemesis for the quantum jump." Megatron said, turning to address his soldiers, his ruby optics bright in anticipation.

* * *

><p><em>[Several joors later.]<em>

The Nemesis was currently in orbit around the frozen planet. Despite the importance of the mission, Starscream had insisted that they proceeded with caution. It would do no good to lose themselves in a storm due to rushing things.

Megatron, of course, had not objected to that. Harsh and impatient as he could sometimes be, logic still reigned in his processors, and he knew (perhaps better than anyone) the weak points of his own race. Barriers and enemies, he could deal with. Energon-freezing temperatures, not quite so much. That, and the unpredictable atmospheric conditions of the planet, could send the mission up the creek in the shutter of an optic.

"Well, this is what the probe's data has revealed about the planet." Shockwave spoke, as he lit a holographic projection in the middle of the table of the conference room. "Along with some live-feed of the atmospheric phenomena."

Starscream glared at the hologram. It was almost completely white, with some darker areas of indigo here and there along the equatorial zones. The seeker's frown deepened when he caught sight of the whirling anticyclones and squalls that inhabited the atmosphere. Definitely not a good omen.

"Have the scanners picked up something related to the Star Saber or another one of Chaindrive's partners?" Ironhide asked, directly to the point.

"I'm afraid not." The cyclops mech replied, resentfulness evident in his tone, considering it a failure of his task. "The almost ever-present storms jam the signals and make them unreliable at long distances."

"Can't we just send in some seekers to do the job?" Brawl suggested, clearly without giving his words a second thought.

"No seeker is going down to that frozen wasteland without a specific target." Starscream snapped suddenly from his quiet contemplation, armor-plates bristling in anger, his voice laced with a threatening hiss. "If you want to get your aft frozen in a foolish world-wide search you are free to go. But I, for my part, need to narrow the area."

Brawl shrank slightly at the Second in Command's sudden surge of rage. He should definitely think twice before speaking.

"Then, what do you suggest?" Megatron intervened calmly, derailing the seeker's anger. He was the only mech that could hope to do so without having an arm bitten off.

Starscream was silent for a moment, every optic focused on him, until he spoke.

"Look for Skyfire."

Another long silence.

"Who?" Jazz finally broke the awkward silence, his visor flickering in his version of a blink.

"A scientist who got lost here many vorns ago." Starscream said, keeping any emotion from his tone. "He was looking for a strange signal he had picked up on this planet, but he got caught in a hail storm."

"How is it dat ya know these things?" Jazz asked, helm tilted.

"Oh, please." The seeker's tone was bordering on exasperation. "Common knowledge in the scientific community. Now, can we, _please_, continue?" The Autobot Third didn't seem to be fully satisfied with that answer, but he relented. "I have the coordinates of the approximated area of his crash."

"You are not suggesting to go and retrieve that ice cube, are you?" Ironhide raised an optic ridge.

"Right now, that's our best asset." Starscream said dismissively, as he typed the coordinates in the terminal to display them on the hologram. "There is a 95 per cent chance that Skyfire was looking for the same thing we are looking for." He explained. "In that case, his scanners were either more advanced, or purposely tuned to that signal. That's why we cannot dismiss his rescue. If he is alive, he can be of help."

The holographic projection zoomed in on a mountainous region on the northern hemisphere of the globe.

"Well then." Breakaway piped in, eager to prove himself. "When are we going?" His wings flickered. Next to him, Skywarp seemed equally anxious to go, engines humming in anticipation.

"Not _we_." Starscream corrected them. "I am doing the search alone. You two are the back-up plan in case something goes wrong." The two fliers seemed discontent, but quieted down. They knew better than to disobey the Air Commander.

Starscream turned to look at his Leader, searching in his optics for permission to go on with his plan. Megatron was usually content with standing back and letting his soldiers do the brainstorming while he ran possible scenarios in his processors, but of course, he had the last word, and he always put some conditions and restrictions on the plans to enhance the chances of success.

"Do as you plan, but you won't be out for longer than a joor. I also want a status report every three breems, and first you will drop by the med-bay." Megatron said, his tone brooking no argument and gesturing to Knock Out with a flick of his claws.

Starscream nodded with a slight frown and immediately left for the med-bay, the medic and the other two fliers trailing close behind him.

Eleonor's gaze followed them until they exited the room. Something was going on with the seeker. She knew, because she had not seen him smirk even once during the whole meeting. He was worried about something, but what? She didn't have an answer.

Feeling a little helpless and useless, she watched as the rest of the mechs started to leave the room, dismissed by Megatron.

"Is there anything I can do to help in the meanwhile?" She asked timidly, raising her gaze to look at the Decepticon Leader.

He regarded her for a while, optics narrowing in thought. He trusted Starscream's judgement in aerial missions, after all, the Air Commander had the longest experience in those matters. But a little help couldn't hurt.

"Soundwave, provide her with the data collected by the probes." He ordered his Third in Command before turning to address Eleonor. "I admit that we have poor data about atmospheric conditions in planets with water. I trust you to have a little more experience in those matters, knowing your... origin."

Eleonor nodded with resolve. Climate was not her area of expertise, but she had studied something. And definitely, Cybertron had no water, so its inhabitants had little to no experience, so any knowledge she could provide would be of use.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure that's safe?"<p>

"Of course!" Knock Out exclaimed, feigning offense, as he held up a container with what he had claimed to be his new and improved formula of antifreeze.

Starscream took the container from the medic's servo and suspiciously eyed the odd-looking blue liquid inside it, making slow swinging motions.

"It's very dense." He observed. "Are you sure it won't clog my lines?"

"It is denser, and it would make your lines run slower, decreasing your engines' performance about twenty percent," Knock Out admitted. "But it will also decrease the freezing point of the energon in your lines from minus thirty degrees Celsius to minus eighty. That planet's average surface temperature is about minus one hundred degrees. The new antifreeze won't make you invulnerable, but it will definitely make you last longer out there."

Starscream ran some numbers in his processors, verifying the medic's calculus.

"I'm also going to apply a protective sealant grease over the welds of your last repair." The red mech continued. "I wouldn't recommend you to stress your frame so much so soon, but I guess you aren't going to listen to me, are you?" He chuckled slightly, and Starscream replied with a non-committal grunt. "So, if you are going to stress your joints anyway, at least I'll make myself sure that you do it with some protection."

"Okay, do it." The trine-leader nodded with resolve, and while Knock Out proceeded to hook an I.V. line into his systems, he turned to address the other two fliers. "You two will stay at the main bridge to be informed of my whereabouts. If I fail to report or send a distress signal, you'll warp to my position and get me out. Skywarp will know my exact location through our trine-bond. Understood?"

Both fliers nodded in unison, and Starscream grimaced as he felt the antifreeze entering his system and mixing with his energon, making it run slower in his lines, dense like tar. It was a very unpleasant feeling, but it would do him good out there.

* * *

><p>Eleonor lifted her gaze from her datapad to spare a glance at the small red dot that had just blinked on the holographic projection of the frozen planet. Starscream was still searching and he was alright. She sighed softly before returning to the data collected by the probes.<p>

The planet had a rock-solid surface, and had an significant quantity of water, almost as much as Earth, judging from the scans. However, most of the water was in a solid-state, covering the continents with a perpetual blanket of ice. Only along the equatorial line (the warmest region), endured a belt-shaped area of seas.

Eleonor studied the anticyclones and squalls moving over the surface, finding several similarities with the ones back on Earth. These ones were bigger and more violent, but moved following similar patterns along similar circulation cells and were affected by the Coriolis effect too.

So far, it seemed that no storms were going near the area Starscream was scanning, at least in the next ten hours. That was a small relief.

"Tell me if you have problems operating the holographic projection." Shockwave's deep voice distracted her from her current thoughts.

"I was making some weather predictions, thanks to the live-feed of the atmosphere." She replied. The cyclops mech nodded and went to the control terminal.

"You can also hide the 'atmosphere layer' and display a clean projection of the surface." Shockwave explained, operating the controls to illustrate what he was saying. "And zoom in on any area to study it in detail. The scanner's signals are reflected by the ice, so we can't see what's beneath it, but I can show you the surface." Eleonor watched closely.

"Can we see the area Starscream is flying over?" She asked, coming closer to the hologram.

The display zoomed in on the red dot, and now Eleonor could clearly see a bird's-eye view of the area.

"Wait a moment..." She murmured, her eyes narrowing as she recognized familiar patterns across the ice's surface. "Can you zoom out just a little?"

Shockwave zoomed out progressively until Eleonor told him to stop.

"Damn it!" She exclaimed as she confirmed her suspicions, resisting the urge to slap herself. "Why didn't I think of this earlier? I'm stupid!" She muttered grabbing her head in her hands.

"Is something wrong?" Megatron asked, suddenly appearing out of the blue. He had been quietly paying attention to his Lieutenant and the human while he monitored Starscream's status reports.

"Starscream is scanning the wrong area." She said urgently. Megatron raised both optic ridges.

"How is that? He had the coordinates logged." Shockwave questioned.

"I was assuming the frozen areas were covered by a massive ice sheet, but now that I see them clearly, I've discovered that that assumption was wrong." She explained, pointing at the hologram. "Those are _not_ ice sheets. They are _glaciers_. Mountain glaciers."

"So, what's all the fuss about? Ridiculously big ice masses, what's the difference?" Ironhide intervened. He had also been listening to the conversation going on around him, and decided to approach.

"That mountain glaciers _move_." Eleonor revealed, her tone filled with a deadly seriousness that didn't suit her. "Skyfire is no longer where he crashed."

"Frag." The Weapons Specialist cursed. "Any idea of where he could be now?"

"Fortunately, yes." She replied. "Glaciers move very slowly, but at a speed that can be _measured_. I only need to know that speed, how long ago and where Skyfire crashed here to calculate the area where he should be by now."

"Contact Starscream." Megatron ordered Soundwave. If the human was right, then Starscream had been facing mech-killing temperatures for two hours in vain.

* * *

><p>Starscream silently cursed the planet's climate for the umpteenth time as he changed his course. He had been zigzagging to maximize the area he could scan in the short time-window he had.<p>

He snarled as he felt the icy winds stinging over his frame. The direction he had just taken was exactly against the predominant winds. On other planets he had visited, like Cybertron or Earth, it would have been a welcomed feeling, stroking his outer armor with weightless caresses, cooling the excess heat and sending pleasant sensations through his flight sensors. Now, however, the icy winds bit at his frame, cutting against his plates like the sharpest blades, seeping through his vents and threatening to freeze him from the inside out.

The worst part was his wings. The fresh welds hurt like the Pit despite the protective sealant grease. At this rate, he would have to go back to the Nemesis sooner than he was expecting.

Well, it could always be worse. The chilling winds were strong, but at least the sky was clear, and there were no signs of storms.

Starscream didn't get too overconfident though. He knew too damn well how atmospheric conditions could change in a matter of breems on that planet. It had only happened once before, but he would never forget that fateful day.

Skyfire had been so thrilled with the strange signal he had picked up. The weather had been worsening, and Starscream should have called retreat earlier.

_Just one last sweep_, he had relented.

That single mistake had cost him Skyfire.

Starscream cursed again, giving himself a mental shake, trying to push the memories to the back of his processors. That mistake had made him adamant in his decisions since then. He would never again relent in front of a mech under his care. He would never back down, and he would make sure his orders were rigorously followed.

He would never again lose a mech.

::Starscream, this is Megatron. Do you copy?:: The stern voice of the Decepticon Leader pulled Starscream from his dark spiral of thoughts.

::Affirmative.:: Came the succinct reply.

::Your pet here says that you are looking for Skyfire in the wrong place. That the ice mass you are flying over _moves_.::

Starscream systems stalled for a moment and he gained altitude.

Frag and Pit.

It was true.

From a higher point of view, he realized he had been scanning a wide expanse between two colossal mountain ranges. And the ice mass in between them looked suspiciously like molten metal flowing from a blast furnace, with parallel furrows along its surface, following the slope along the valley.

::Slag. It's true.:: Starscream growled over the comm. link.

::Do you have any means to measure its speed?::

::Yes, I have several small laser-theodolites. I'll set them in different points and I'll go back to the Nemesis while they take the measurements.:: The seeker replied, already knowing what he had to do to calculate the new approximated area where Skyfire should be. ::Starscream over and out.::

* * *

><p>The transmission cut with a short burst of static, leaving the main bridge in a contemplative silence.<p>

Eleonor sighed, her eyebrows furrowing in worry. She tried very hard not to, but it was inherent to her. She always worried despite her intents to sound reassuring. How hypocritical. Mentally slapping herself, she decided to push her concerns aside. Picking up her datapad, she brought up the probe's meteorologic feed, and decided to continue monitoring something useful.

Something made a loud tapping sound next to her, and she turned to see a large clawed servo. Following the arm it was attached to, Eleonor found herself looking at the Decepticon Leader. She stiffened in reflex and waited for him to speak.

But Megatron didn't say anything. He just studied her for a moment before giving her a look of approval. Of course, the stern mech was not about to praise a lowly human in front of his high officers and some Autobots, but that look had been enough to make his message known.

_Good job._

Eleonor bowed her head respectfully, and continued with her datapad after Megatron had walked away to speak with Soundwave.

* * *

><p>A red warning popped in Starscream's HUD as he was setting the last theodolite. He checked the time. It had barely taken five Earthen hours to make his systems ping in alarm, urgently reporting the first signs of frostbite despite Knock Out's new antifreeze formula.<p>

He hastily finished calibrating the instrument, his servos slow and clumsy due to the ice stuck between the joints. He had set a total of six theodolites facing each other, in pairs. Each pair had one member placed near the mountain side, on the bare rock, and the other one on the glacier. That way he would be able to measure the increase in the distance separating them. The process, however, would take some hours, because the ice mass moved very slowly.

Shakily staggering backwards to put some distance between himself and the finely calibrated instruments, so that he didn't misalign them in the take-off, Starscream started his thrusters.

Or tried to. His engines had cooled down, and were unable to start again under the intense cold.

Frag and Pit, one more time.

::Skywarp...:: He contacted his trine-mate, his tone carrying tiredness even through the comm. link. ::How about giving your dear trine-leader a lift?:: He tried to sound casual, but there was an evident edge of concern in his voice.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** Well, I thought the first part of this chapter was going to be a little boring, but I think that it came out quite nice. I like how the interactions between the characters came out. It also served to introduce some of the new mechs that are going to be part of the crew. I also summarized things a bit, deciding to discard the narration of the Autobots leaving Earth, as it was unnecessary to the story. And look at that! Eleonor being scientific and useful again! Woman, it has been long without any of that! And poor Starscream always pushing himself too hard. He needs a vacation in my opinion. Oh, and how was my poor attempt at poetry with the trine oath? I totally came up with that. Maybe it was too corny?

Secondly, I have noticed a worrying increase in the occurrence of 'Guest reviews'. I don't know if it is because those people really don't have an account, or because they are too lazy to log in, but it makes me very sad not been able to formally and personally reply to them with a PM. So, please, if you want me to reply, take a moment to log in :D

On a second thought, what if they actually don't like me replying to them with a PM? Oh, no! I am an annoyance! T_T

**PD:** Thanks to Angelcakes19 for beta-reading this!


	30. Ice

Chapter 30: Ice

It only took one second for Skywarp to grab Breakaway and teleport them out of the Nemesis' main bridge with a bright flash of purple light.

Their intakes hitched when they appeared, a second later, in the middle of an ice expanse. The icy winds bit at their frames, threatening to suck dry the slightest source of heat, as if they were angered that something alive had dared to invade their domains.

"There!" Breakaway exclaimed, already running in the direction of the familiar silhouette of the trine-leader, crouched in a protective ball to shield himself from the wind, barely recognizable amidst the snow.

The two fliers were immediately by his side, grabbing each one of his arms and helping him to his feet. His beige frame was almost white, frost covering the most exposed armour plates.

"What took you... so long?" Starscream said weakly, trying to ease the other two fliers' worried looks with a joke, but his voice came out so weak that it only served to deepen their concerned frowns.

It only took another second for Skywarp to teleport the three of them back to the Nemesis' med-bay.

* * *

><p>"By the Allspark!" Knock Out exclaimed, as his domains were suddenly invaded by three mechs that had suddenly popped out of the blue. Well, out of the purple, to be exact. He was about to yell at Skywarp and lecture him about the dangers a close quantum-jump could pose to sensitive machinery, such as the ones present in his med-bay, when his optics fell on the trine-leader and his systems stalled.<p>

"Have I ever told you, that you are not so bad to be a grounder?" Starscream said, sluggishly raising his glance to meet the medic's optics.

"Primus, the cold has made him delirious." Knock Out began to extract tools from a cabinet and signalled Breakdown to prepare a berth for the seeker. "Put him on that berth." He ordered to the two fliers.

"Will he be alright?" Skywarp asked in concern, as he helped his trine-leader to get onto the seeker-sized berth.

"Of course I will! I'm not planning to die before I can overthrow Megatron and take control of the Decepticons!" Starscream bragged, trying to get up again to prove his point, and it took the combined efforts of Skywarp and Breakaway to push him down.

"Well, he seems pretty fine to me." The deep voice of Megatron intervened suddenly as the doors of the med-bay slid aside, letting the Leader of the Decepticons walk in, Soundwave trailing close behind with Eleonor in one of his servos.

"Please, don't mind him, Lord Megatron. Starscream is not currently in his right mind. The cold has overclocked his processors and made him delirious." The red medic explained as he hooked the seeker to a machine that would heat up his energon before returning it to his lines, the quickest way to treat a mech with signs of frostbite. "But he will be fine in a while." He assured.

Eleonor bit her lip as she caught sight of the seeker, his frame dripping water as the snow melted away. Starscream had the irredeemable habit of putting himself in all kind of dangerous situations in order to protect his closest ones. Something that, of course, was a noble act, but made her worry nonetheless.

"Ah, my loyal pet! You would have made a fine Second in Command when I overthrow Megatron, but Soundwave has already claimed that position." Starscream exclaimed, as he spotted the small human on Soundwave's servo. "But don't worry, you can be Third!" Eleonor was thankful for the exo-suit that was currently hiding her deep-red blush.

Megatron turned to stare at Soundwave and Eleonor, raising a single optic ridge.

"Starscream state: delirious." The blue and silver mech stated, corroborating the medic's diagnostic, his voice betraying no emotions and his expression, the ultimate poker-face.

"I... think I'm going to slip him a mild sedative..." Knock Out said a little hesitantly, fearful of interrupting his superiors. "He'll be as good as new in one hour."

"Please, Knock Out, proceed." The Decepticon Leader motioned to the medic with one servo. "I'd honestly appreciate not having to prematurely hear his scheming. It ruins the intrigue." He added, all seriousness, but there was the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth-plates.

* * *

><p>Eleonor waited in the med-bay, alone except for the recharging seeker that lay on the berth in front of her. She couldn't help but recall a similar situation, the first time she had seen Starscream hurt, after a fuel raid gone wrong. The seeker had also been in this same med-bay, his frame riddled with sabot rounds as he laid unconscious.<p>

Her situation, however, had been very different. That time she had been nothing more than a disposable slave, and Starscream openly hated her, but despite all of that, she had stayed at the med-bay by his side for several hours. Perhaps it had been because she needed something familiar, and the seeker had been her only company in the Nemesis for a long time. Perhaps because she didn't really have anyone else to speak to. Perhaps because she wanted to understand their point of view. But the thing was... that something had made her stay.

"You are always there, aren't you? Taking care of me." Starscream's voice, softer than usual, brought her back from her memories.

Eleonor snapped into attention, realizing at that moment that she had been about to doze off, her knees pulled to her chest, her back resting against a piece of equipment. Looking back at the other berth, she saw Starscream, who had just awakened, his optics still dimmed as he propped up on his elbow-joints.

"I can't help it." She replied, with a small sheepish smile. "How are you feeling?"

Starscream did a quick systems check before replying.

"Actually...surprisingly good. Lines still slow due to that antifreeze, but I feel quite rested." The seeker said, raising both optic ridges in surprise. It seemed that the short recharge-nap had done him good. "I even had this strange dream where I told Megatron I wanted to overthrow him and..." He cut himself off, frowning slightly.

"... And you announced Soundwave as your Second and me as your Third...?" She finished for him.

Starscream slapped a servo on his fore-helm and plopped back onto the berth.

"Don't tell me I said that aloud." He almost whined.

"Knock Out said you were delirious due to the cold." She explained. Starscream let out a sigh of misery. "Megatron was... quite amused, to say the least."

"Megatron was here too?" He mused aloud. That was... unexpected. Normally, if the Decepticon Leader wanted to know his health status he would have asked Knock Out or Soundwave through their comm. links.

"Yes." She nodded. "He seemed a little... worried about you." She said a little hesitantly. "And I think that something must be really important if even Lord Megatron starts worrying about you..." She added almost in a whisper.

"It must be because he was also trapped in ice for a long time on Earth." Starscream said dismissively waving a servo in the air. "Surprisingly, Megatron still has some traces of empathy."

"That's not..." She looked up to meet the seeker's gaze. "...what I was referring to." She looked down again, suddenly finding the floor amazingly interesting. "You are not like yourself lately." Starscream raised an optic ridge questioningly. "You barely smirk, you are restless... Something is troubling you, I can see it." Eleonor elaborated. "If there is something I could help with, you can tell me..."

Starscream heaved a sigh, coming to a sitting position on the berth, his back resting against the wall. That was Eleonor. Always trying to help.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" He asked rhetorically.

"Female mystical mind-reading powers, remember?" She teased, wiggling her fingers in the air as if she were casting a spell. Starscream couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's not very scientific, you know?" He teased back, extending a servo to the berth she was sitting upon. Eleonor accepted the offer, stepping into his open palm.

"I know, but it made you smile." Eleonor grinned before her expression sobered again. "What's worrying you, Starscream?"

The seeker pulled back his servo and let the woman slide until she was sitting on the berth next to him. He regarded her for a moment, deep in thought, pondering if he should share Skyfire's story with her.

He finally gave a small sigh of defeat through his vents. It was not like he was going to be able to keep his secrets for too much longer anyway. His trine-mates knew it, as well as Megatron and probably Soundwave, though those last two not in detail.

"Skyfire..." He started to say, his voice a little distant, his gaze lost. "...was a good friend of mine."

"You knew him?" Eleonor seemed honestly surprised. What a coincidence.

"We both worked in the Science Academy before the War." He continued. "Our job, as seekers, was to explore distant planets, looking for useful resources, and sometimes do some field research." He looked down at Eleonor. "He was a great scientist. Kind, loyal, and with an unending passion for discovery." He trailed off for some seconds before he added his next words. "Like you."

"What happened to him?" She asked softly, perceiving the brief glint of sadness crossing the seeker's optics.

"We were exploring this solar system. He picked up a strange signal on this planet, and we went to investigate. The weather changed suddenly, and he got lost in a storm." He ran a servo down his face-plates in a shameful gesture. "I spent weeks looking for him, but I wasn't able to find anything... I should have stopped him before the wind picked up... It was my fault that he ended up lost in this frozen wasteland."

"It was an accident, Starscream... it was not your fault." Eleonor whispered, hesitantly placing a hand on the seeker's leg.

"No, you don't understand." Starscream snapped suddenly, cutting off Eleonor, and making her flinch and pull her hand away. "_Losing_ him wasn't my fault. Not coming back for him _was_ my fault." His surge of anger drifted into self-loathing. "I got carried away by the War, other duties and responsibilities. And I never came back. I almost... I almost _forgot_ about him." He said, burying his helm into his servos in despair.

Eleonor understood at that moment all the protectiveness Starscream felt for his trine-mates. He had lost a friend once, and he promised himself not to let that happen again.

"If, as you say, Skyfire is anything like me, I am sure he will forgive you, Starscream." She said softly, but with conviction.

Starscream glanced down and met her resolved stare, reassurance radiating from her small figure. Her trust in him knew no bounds. It had always been like that. Pure, unwavering trust and loyalty, since the first time they had met.

"Why do you have so much faith in me?" He asked, after a long moment of quiet contemplation.

Eleonor regarded him for another long minute, gathering her thoughts.

"Because, in the short amount of time I've been able to share with you, I have seen your strength, your determination, your prowess. Not only physically, but in spirit. You are unstoppable if you want to be, Starscream." She replied with fierce conviction.

"You have seen but a fraction of me. You don't know me at all, Eleonor." Starscream growled slightly, pinning her with his glare, leaning closer and purposely using her name to sound more intimidating.

"I've seen enough." She was not going to take her words back, because she firmly believed them, but she recoiled a step and looked away, more out of respect than fear. She didn't want him to take offense at her attitude. "I've seen how you care about others. You are a good mech, Starscream, despite what you may think."

Starscream's glare softened and he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for scolding her. After all, she had never been rude to him. In fact, all she had ever done to him was to be caring and understanding, offering him her quiet support and reassurance, her blind faith and loyalty, her respect and obedience.

He also realized at that moment one thing he had in common with her. Both tended to bottle things up so as not to worry anyone around them. Starscream hid his concerns and problems because he needed to be a pillar of reassurance in front of the rest of the Decepticons, while Eleonor hid her fears because she didn't want to be a nuisance for anyone. He wondered briefly if his Leader also hid something behind his mask of self-confidence and power.

"Come here." He ordered, offering her a servo, and despite his previous display of anger, she climbed on without hesitation, like she always did. Lifting her to optic level, he regarded her for a while, studying her face behind the transparent screen of the exo-suit's helmet. "I've always wanted to ask you something." He finally said.

Eleonor blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden change in subject.

"Ask it then."

"Why did you stay with me?" He asked. "That time. In this same med-bay. When I had been hurt after a fuel raid." He didn't need to specify any further. "I'd done nothing to deserve it at that moment."

Eleonor looked deep into his optics, as if it was possible to find the answer in them.

"I don't know." She replied in all honesty. "Maybe someday I'll figure it out."

"If you ever find out... let me know."

"Yes, Sir." She smiled softly.

* * *

><p>The doors to the Nemesis' main bridge would have slammed open if it wasn't because they were designed to slide aside. However, they did it a lot quicker than usual as Starscream overrode their default setting and stormed inside the bridge with swift, resolved strides.<p>

"I've calculated the approximate coordinates of Skyfire's current location." He announced, as he walked past a very dumbfounded Ironhide, making a beeline for the holographic projector. "There." He pointed at a new area that he had just highlighted on the hologram. "Between 730 and 760 kilometers down the course of the glacier." Then, he crouched to pick Eleonor up, who had been trailing behind him, leaving her on a terminal. "You, monitor the weather for me." He ordered. She nodded sharply in acknowledgement. Then, he turned to address his trine-mate and the aerialbot. "Skywarp, Breakaway, the same plan as before." They nodded in unison. Finally, he switched on a monitor to contact Knock Out in the med-bay. "Knock Out, prepare whatever needs to be prepared to bring back a mech who had been frozen in stasis for forty-five vorns." He cut the connection after hearing the medic utter a quick 'yessir'.

"Are you still overclocked?" Megatron asked, in view of his Second's enthusiasm, quirking an optic ridge.

"No, but I've had a good rest." Starscream positively smirked and his Leader resisted the urge to face-palm. Then, he sobered, seriousness and confidence returning to his tone. "I'm going to find Skyfire."

Megatron met the resolved look in his Second's optics before he nodded solemnly, giving Starscream his silent permission to carry out his plans.

Starscream nodded back and stormed out of the bridge without any further word.

"When all this is over with, I'm going to take a long vacation." The Decepticon Leader said, startlingly serious. Shockwave looked back at him, and somehow managed to appear unsettled by the idea, despite his single optic.

"Maybe you could start with one of those 'good rests' Starscream has mentioned." Ironhide suggested, shrugging his massive shoulders.

* * *

><p>Starscream was scanning the new area, zigzagging over the terrain at a low altitude. This part seemed dirtier. Where the upper part of the glacier had been a blinding white, this one sported patches with sediments eroded from the valley and carried down its course, colouring the terrain with a light shade of grey. It was also very near to the end of the glacier, where it died in a half-frozen sea. For that reason, the terrain was extra dangerous because it was lined with deep furrows that signalled the portions that will break up when they reached the shore.<p>

The seeker had his sensors attuned to the maximum, in an attempt to make his scanners reach deeper into the glacier. So far, they had only revealed chunks of rocks and debris embedded in the ice. Starscream did a quick systems check. Outer armour temperature, minus 42 degrees Celsius. Internal temperature, minus 32 degrees Celsius. One hour had passed. That left him less than four more hours to continue his search until he had to go back to the Nemesis and defrost.

He briefly considered bringing Skywarp and Breakaway with him the next time. Three mechs would do a better search than only one, and with the proper precautions and Knock Out's antifreeze the task was considerably safer. He even thought about Blitzwing. His sensors were not as cunning as theirs, because he was not a seeker, but his much larger frame gave him an advantage in cold environments, because larger sizes meant lower surface/volume ratios, which translated into slower heat loss.

Giving himself a mental shake, Starscream dismissed the idea. Skyfire had also been a very large frame. A shuttle, no less. With an alt-form equipped with his own cargo hold to carry field instruments and samples. And even his large size had not posed a match to the terrible hail storms that battered the planet. He was not going to endanger anyone else.

::Starscream, do you copy?:: Suddenly, the soft voice of Eleonor pulled him from his dark spiral of thoughts.

::Loud and clear.:: He replied over the comm. link.

::There's an area of low pressure moving to your general position. Chances of it evolving into a squall, and subsequently, a storm are high.:: She informed, all seriousness.

::How high?::

::About sixty per cent.:: She provided.

::Knowing my luck, I'm sure it will.:: The seeker's voice came laced with a slight growl. ::Estimated ETA?::

::Between 1.5 and 2 hours.::

::Acknowledged.:: Starscream said, and then fell silent on his end of the line.

::Sir...?:: Eleonor asked hesitantly. It was not like Starscream to remain silent for so long, at least, not without having formally dismissed her and closed the comm. link.

::I've picked up something. I'm going to check it out.:: His voice came laced with uncertainty. ::I'll leave the comm. link open.::

Eleonor hesitated for another second before speaking again, with barely contained worry.

::Please, be careful.::

* * *

><p>Starscream did a sudden nose-dive and scanned the ice, this time with a more ample range of wavelengths. Some of the waves managed to go through the ice, and came back to the seeker's scanners, revealing something big and made of metal beneath it. Starscream repeated this operation two more times to be able to triangulate the exact position of the object, and then one more time to estimate the depth.<p>

"There you are..." He murmured to himself as he transformed and landed, sinking his clawed feet into the ice to avoid slipping. Whatever was trapped in the ice (he still couldn't be sure if it was Skyfire), was thirty-six meters under the surface, just beneath him. "Now, how can I reach you without proper drilling equipment?" He hummed as he glanced around.

As if in an obvious response to his question, he spotted a deep crack in the glacier's surface. Approaching cautiously towards the edge, he glanced down. A quick scan revealed it to be about forty meters deep. The entrance was wide enough for him to fit, but the crack narrowed as it deepened, so he wasn't sure of how far he could reach.

::Starscream calling meteorologic station.:: The seeker called through the comm. link, a smirk in his tone.

::Sir, is everything alright?:: Eleonor asked in honest concern.

::How's the squall progressing?::

::Gaining strength, but changing its course towards north-west. If it reaches your position, it won't be in full force, just the peripheral area of influence.::

::That's good to know.:: Starscream said, relieved by the news. ::Tell Soundwave to patch my comm. link through one of the terminals. I'm sending a video feed.::

It took only a moment for Soundwave to do as Starscream has said, and as soon as the main screen on the bridge was online, they received the video sent by the seeker from his point of view.

::My scans have revealed something big and made of metal under the ice sheet.:: Starscream's voice came in, along with images of that frozen area. ::But in order to confirm if it is, indeed, Skyfire, I need to get closer, and it's located thirty-six meters below the surface.::

::We have some drilling equipment aboard.:: Shockwave intervened.

::I know, but there are tons of ice here. _Thousands_ of tons. It will take very long to reach that depth, and if it ends up being a false alarm, we would have wasted a lot of time, not to mention the dangers of prospecting into this terrain under these weather conditions.::

::Any other options?:: Megatron asked.

::Maybe.:: Starscream replied, and he turned, showing images of a deep crack in the glacier, with completely vertical walls. ::Eleonor, what can you tell me about these cracks in the ice?::

::They form near the end of the glacier, due to differential speeds in the ice.::

::Are they safe?:: Starscream's video showed that he was crouching near the crack, his servos firmly grabbing the edge. ::What if I were to go down this one? Can they close suddenly?::

::No, they only tend to grow wider as the glacier breaks up, but I'm not sure if you should-:: Eleonor cut herself mid-sentence with a gasp as the video suddenly changed its orientation, alternating between the sky and the crack's depths, with glimpses of Starscream's talons sinking into the ice walls.

Starscream descended slowly through the crack, being extra careful, moving one limb at a time and only when the other three were secured.

::Well, at least inside here I'm protected from the wind.:: The seeker murmured, as he continued his descent. Soon, he noticed that the ice was becoming harder and changing its colour gradually as he progressed deeper. ::The ice is changing from white to blue. Is this normal?:: He asked, to distract himself and maybe Eleonor from the dangers of his mission.

::Yes. The ice is normally white because it traps small bubbles of air inside it. But at great pressures, such as the ones in the depths of a glacier, all the air is squeezed out, and the size of the ice crystals increases, making it clear. It is blue because of the same reason the seas are blue, because the bond between oxygen and hydrogen absorbs light at the red end of the spectrum.:: She explained. Then she stopped abruptly, realizing she had unconsciously entered scientific-mode. ::Huh... sorry about the rant.::

Starscream chuckled, his end of the comm. link buzzing with static.

::You know a lot about ice.::

::I... spent some time studying the glaciers back on Earth. In Greenland.:: She replied, a little embarrassed.

::That seems risky for humans. What can be learnt from glaciers that it's worth so much risk?:: The seeker asked, as he flattened his wings against his frame. The crack was becoming too narrow for his size.

::Many things. Studying the chemicals trapped in the ice you can determine a lot of things from the time they settled. Air composition, volcanic activity, that kind of parameters...::

Starscream listened intently at Eleonor's explanations. He knew better than to disregard knowledge, even if it came from human research. After all, you can never learn too much, and who knew when that knowledge could be useful?

He continued his careful descent between the crack's walls, never losing his footing. Fortunately, the heat loss had slowed down, because the wind didn't affect him down there. Finally, the narrowness of the crack made him pause.

"Come on, just a little further..." He murmured to himself. He was very near. Just eight more meters and the object encased in the ice would be just in front of him. Flattening his armour-plates as much as he could, shifting his wings into an almost painful position, he managed to compress his frame enough to descend a couple of meters more.

He stopped abruptly as he touched both walls simultaneously with his cockpit and thrusters.

"Scrap..." He mused aloud. When he was so close. He wriggled slightly against the ice before considering using his weapons. Would the heat caused by his null-ray be too dangerous to use it down here? He was about to ask when a sudden tremor made him freeze. "What the...?" He didn't get the chance to finish that sentence, because the wall behind him moved suddenly and he took a sharp intake of air in surprise. The sudden retreat of the wall behind him also made him lose his hold, and he slid down several meters, claws thrashing against the ice, fighting to get a purchase, wings flaring out, seeking the back wall to slow the fall with the friction.

::Starscream!:: Eleonor couldn't stop her panicked gasp as she saw the frightening images of the seeker's sudden and out-of-control descent from his point of view. Behind her, Skywarp and Breakaway stiffened simultaneously, armour-plates bristling unconsciously.

Starscream and his audience could only watch in horror as the wall in front of him disappeared and he abruptly found himself grasping empty air.

And as suddenly as it had started, the fall ended as the seeker's feet touched solid ground, raptor-like legs automatically bending to cushion the impact as he landed in a crouch. He looked frantically around him, his gyros still fighting to re-calibrate and scanners sending an ample range of signals in an attempt to take in his new surroundings.

He was in some kind of ice gallery, the ceiling just high enough for him to fit and about two-times his size width.

::Starscream!:: Skywarp's panicked voice crackled through the comm. link, laced with static, and making him flinch with his intensity. ::Are you alright?::

Starscream took a couple of seconds to do a quick systems check and take a couple of deep intakes of air before replying.

::Affirmative.:: He said, now more calmed. He looked upwards, still transmitting the video-feed. Light filtered through the crack in the ice, lighting the long blue ice gallery. ::Where am I?::

::You seem to have fallen into a cavern under the glacier. It sometimes happen when the ice encounters an obstacle on its course. But they don't extend for too long, because the weight of the ice makes the glacier gradually regain its normal position.:: Eleonor provided.

::I _hate_ caves.:: Starscream let out a hiss. The seekers' displeasure for confined spaces was well-known. ::But seriously, an _ice_ cave? The word 'hate' is just not enough anymore.:: He growled as he turned around, finding the mere presence of the massive ice walls claustrophobic.

Any further thought about his hatred for caverns or ice was abruptly interrupted as he found himself looking at a familiar silhouette.

And if anyone could have been with Starscream, he would have been witness of an extremely rare event as the seeker's face-plates shifted slightly to form a very uncommon expression.

For the first time in a very long time, what crossed Starscream's features was not a devious smirk or a smug grin. It was a smile. A genuine smile of relief and happiness.

"I found you..."

Just in front of him, frozen inside an ice-tomb since that fateful day, was _Skyfire_.

* * *

><p><em>[Two days later.]<em>

It had taken a lot of effort, a lot of cutting through the glacier, and a lot of carefully monitoring the meteorologic conditions, but finally, the huge ice-cube that contained the lost shuttle was being hoisted aboard the Nemesis.

Starscream was perched on the edge of the open cargo-bay hatch, watching the big chunk of ice as it swung in the freezing winds, precariously hanging by a multitude of cables. The fierce roar of the engines could be heard over the rushing wind, fighting to keep the warship stabilized over the ice expanse.

"Nervous?"

The unmistakable voice of his Leader made Starscream look behind him to discover the mighty silver mech leaning against the further bulkhead.

"Never." Starscream replied a little dryly, rising from his crouched spot and walking towards the controls of the hoister-cables. Once there, he adjusted them to a slower pace.

"Come on. Not even Soundwave would be able to hear us over all this noise." Megatron said almost casually, but the commanding tone in his voice never disappeared.

Starscream gave a noncommittal growl, inwardly cursing his inability to lie to his Leader and make it sound convincing. He blamed it on the worries that currently plagued his mind.

"Do you remember what happened when you were freed from your ice-prison, that time on Earth?" The seeker asked, looking at the huge chunk of ice that was currently entering through the hatch.

Megatron couldn't help but give an aggravated growl.

"Well, those human parasites certainly had it coming." He said with displeasure.

"You were mad with anger. You blew up the _whole_ facility, nearly shot _me_ in the process." Starscream continued, looking at his Leader with a hint of concern.

"You would have been damn well pissed-off too. You have no idea of what it's like to be-"

"No, I have not." Starscream interjected, earning an annoyed growl and a glare from his Leader for cutting him off like that, but he ignored it. "The point is, I don't know how Skyfire is going to react when he awakes." He turned to look again at the huge ice-cube, now safely secured inside the cargo-hold.

"I'll grant him permission to sulk for a while, but after that I expect him to help us in our mission. We have lost precious time rescuing him, and I want to see our efforts rewarded." Megatron frowned, crossing his arms across his broad chest-plates and glancing at the ice-cube with the blurred shadow of the shuttle inside it. "You said you knew him from before the War. Talk to him and see that he sides with us. If, as you suspect, he is able to track the fragment of the Star Saber, his help will be valuable."

Starscream shifted uncomfortably.

"And if... he doesn't want to listen to me?"

"What do you mean?" Megatron narrowed his optics.

The seeker placed a hand over the cold, unforgiving ice. Taking a deep intake of air, he steeled himself, decided to reveal to his Leader what he considered his gravest failure.

"I..." He heaved a sigh, doubts lingering in his processors. What if he blames me for what happened? What if he hates me? What if...? "...Never mind." He finally said.

Megatron raised an optic ridge, clearly unconvinced and knowing that Starscream was keeping something inside, but any further inquiry he may have made was cut by an incoming transmission from the med-bay. Everything was prepared to bring the frozen mech back to life.

* * *

><p>Several hours had passed, and Skyfire's motionless form was now resting on the biggest berth of the med-bay, water still dripping from his frame.<p>

Starscream took a moment to remember the shapes and colours of his long-gone friend. Skyfire was bigger than him. Actually, he had one of the biggest airborne frames, bigger than Megatron, probably even bigger than Shockwave. His main colour was white, with some details in red. His wings were also wider, and he had four of them. The main ones pointed upwards and two smaller ones pointed down.

Knock Out and Breakdown were also in the med-bay. The red medic was scrolling down a datapad plugged to one of Skyfire's medical ports, checking his status, while his assistant monitored the machine that was gradually warming up the energon frozen in their patient's lines.

"How is he?" Starscream couldn't keep his silent vigil any longer.

"Well, it's not as bad as I imagined in the first place." Knock Out said, pressing a couple of buttons in his datapad. "Cold temperatures make us enter into stasis, but they don't kill us either. He's probably going to be a little disoriented when he wakes up, though. I'm going to deactivate his weapons, just in case. I don't want my med-bay compromised." The seeker nodded at that. "I've been warming him up very slowly to avoid any structural damage. Sudden temperature changes can be detrimental for some alloys, as I'm sure you already know." He smirked, remembering the stunt played on Omega Supreme.

"How long until he awakes then?"

"He should wake up any time soon." The medic held the datapad for Starscream to see the faint but steady pulse of Skyfire's spark.

"Do you think there will be any... after-effects?" The seeker asked, coming closer, and resting a servo on the berth.

"There shouldn't be." Knock Out replied. "There isn't much written on the matter, but Lord Megatron endured the same, and I've heard he came out alright. However, we won't be sure until he wakes up."

"Which will be happening right now." Breakdown intervened suddenly, tapping a screen displaying Skyfire's peaking vitals. He was coming out of stasis.

Skyfire's frame twitched slightly, servos clutching empty air and wings fluttering against the berth. Finally, his blue optics flickered online, and he looked blearily at the three forms hovering above him. His vision was blurry, and the audio came muffled and distant.

"**Hello..? Can you hear me?"** A voice spoke, Skyfire believed it was the red shadow who had spoken. The white mech nodded faintly, and immediately regretted it, as his gyros span, painfully trying to recalibrate his orientation. **"You may feel disoriented and dazed. We have just brought you out from stasis. You must know that you have been trapped in ice for a long time."** He informed, not bothering in sweetening the news. **"But don't worry..."** He continued in a more soothing tone before Skyfire could panic. **"You are in good servos now. Just tell me what it hurts, and I'll fix you up."**

"**...Optics... blurry..."** Skyfire croaked, his vocalizer sore from the lack of use.

"**Try resetting them."** The same voice instructed.

The shuttle did as he was told, resetting his primary sensory input, including audio and optic feed, as well as balance receptors. After that, his senses began to run more smoothly, and he sighed in relief.

"**Better now?"** The medic asked.

Skyfire nodded, and looked around to take in his surroundings. Judging from the medical equipment and the other medical berths, he appeared to be in a med-bay. Then, he looked up to meet the gazes of the three mechs hovering above him. A sleek red mech, the one who had been speaking to him, a bigger one with a bulky blue and grey frame, and the biggest one, with a winged beige frame with black markings.

"**Where... am I?"** The white mech asked, trying to come up to a sitting position on the berth.

"**You are in the med-bay of our spaceship."** The blue mech replied, helping him to move.

"**Who are you?"**

"**This is Knock Out, our medic. This is Breakdown, his assistant..."** Starscream started to explain, but then he trailed off for a moment. His old mission partner had not recognised him, probably because of his different frame. **"...And I am... Starscream."** The seeker steeled himself for a negative reaction from the shuttle. Skyfire had never been an aggressive mech, but he could see him lashing out in anger, blaming Starscream for leaving him in that frozen wasteland.

But the feared reaction never came. The shuttle just kept staring at the three of them with identical amounts of dumbfoundedness. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Skyfire frowned slightly.

"**...Skyfire?"** The seeker asked hesitantly.

"**Who is Skyfire...?"**

"**You... you mean... you don't remember...?"** Starscream gaped, his optics widening.

"**N-no..."** The white mech murmured. **"In fact... I can't remember **_**anything**_**..."** He added, hesitantly.

The seeker approached to Skyfire, placing a servo on his shoulder-plate. He had been mentally preparing himself for anything but this. He was ready to bear Skyfire's hate, even his forgiveness (which would have been even harder to accept)... but not _this_.

He couldn't handle total oblivion.

"_**You**_** are Skyfire. We worked together at the Science Academy..."** Starscream said, failing to keep the worry out of his voice. He hoped that giving the other mech hints about his past would help him remember. But Skyfire continued looking back at him, without any trace of recognition in his bright blue optics, a foreign expression that sent a sharp pang of pain through his spark. **"Our task was to explore new planets, and one of our missions led us here to this frozen planet, but we got caught in a storm and I lost you... and... and now I've finally been able to rescue you..."** Starscream shook the white mech's shoulder, his tone growing desperate. **"You must remember something..."**

"**I... I am sorry, but nothing sounds familiar..."** The shuttle said, his tone apologetic despite being innocent of what was happening, which only served to make the seeker feel worse.

"**Starscream, you are scaring my patient." **Knock Out intervened quickly, detecting Skyfire's unsettled expression. He caught Starscream's servo and slowly unhooked it from the white mech, gently pushing the seeker away.

Starscream plopped unceremoniously onto a nearby chair, suddenly feeling very old. Worries and problems started to assault his processors. It wasn't like he was unhappy of having rescued his old friend, but this unexpected turn of events had left him with a bitter aftertaste lingering around his systems. The mech currently in front of him wasn't Skyfire, and there was no way to be sure if he would ever be Skyfire again.

And secondly, but not less important, was the reason they had come to this planet in the first place. They had a mission to accomplish. They were relying on Skyfire to help them find the next piece of the Star Saber, but the shuttle's amnesia had ruined that strategy. They will have to go back to their initial plan of searching for the relic with the scanners they currently had, which weren't very keen to begin with. That was going to be a big setback in their plans.

The Decepticon Second in Command rested his forehelm on a servo.

Megatron was going to be very disappointed.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** First of all, I want to apologize for the long wait. Real life has been difficult lately, I had to move to a new house for the next college year, I still don't have Internet access, etc. That, and some other problems pushed the muses out of my head. And I don't know why, but the ending of this chapter was very difficult to write. It also had many references to the previous fic, New Priorities, and I decided to revamp it a little in case someone wanted to read it again.I have also cleaned my profile, making it nicer and prettier.

Anyway, Starscream and Eleonor finally get some time alone, I admit that I missed their interaction. Starscream's adventures in the ice were exciting to write! I think this chapter was quite nice because it has a healthy mix of feelings, humor, adventure and science facts! And the ending was a surprise even for me. What do you think?

**PD:** Thanks to Angelcakes19 for beta-reading this!


	31. Important

Chapter 31: Important

To say that Megatron was disappointed was an understatement. A serious understatement. Not only had Starscream made him waste precious time and resources in a fruitless enterprise, but also Skyfire had turned out to be completely useless to his current goal.

"**Out."** The Decepticon Leader ordered, turning around, presenting his back to the seeker in favour of staring out of the bridge's windows, dismissing his Second in Command and the white mech next to him.

"**Knock Out informs me that this may be only a temporary amnesia caused by the trauma of crash-landing into this frozen planet, that it is still possible for him to recover his memories in time." **Starscream said, trying to pacify his Leader.

Megatron turned slightly, just enough to glare at his Second over his shoulder, ruby optics flashing dangerously.

"**Out."** He repeated, his voice so cold that suddenly the planet below them looked like a summer paradise.

Starscream knew that if his Leader had to repeat himself a third time, it was going to be his fusion cannon speaking for him, not his vocalizer. With a respectful bow, he exited the bridge, dragging the silent and quite confused shuttle with him.

"**He doe****sn't look very happy."** Skyfire stated the obvious, once the doors of the main bridge had closed behind them.

"**No, he isn't."** Starscream heaved a sigh, wings dropping low. **"Why does everything have to always go wrong?"** He muttered, mostly to himself. Skyfire's wings dropped too, upset by the seeker's obvious concern.

"**Was I really that important?"** He asked softly. Everyone seemed to be greatly disappointed with his amnesia, and he was starting to worry.

The seeker turned to look back at him, his optics hard as he studied the other mech with a stern look. Skyfire, with whom he had shared so many discoveries, so many good and bad moments. They had been one of the best teams in the Science Academy, long before the War. Long before meeting Thundercracker and Skywarp. His old friend was still somewhere inside the white mech. However, despite what Knock Out had said, Starscream wasn't sure if Skyfire would ever be able to find himself. It could take days, months or years. Or maybe he would never regain access to his memories.

Skyfire fidgeted under the scrutiny despite being much bigger. Starscream's gaze softened and he looked away, feeling guilty.

"**You were important..."** He replied, hiding the sadness he was feeling. **"...You still are."**

"**To whom?"**

Starscream sighed, biting back the answer lingering in his processors, still unable to meet the other mech's innocent optics, the silence stretching awkwardly between them.

"**I'm sorry, Starscream..."** Skyfire said after a while.

"**Stop being sorry. It's not your fau****lt."** The seeker said, trying to sound reassuring, finally looking back to the shuttle. **"I'm sure you will recover your memories soon, you'll see."**

"**...I hope so."** He said, smiling faintly.

"**Let's go to the rec. room. Most of the crew will be there, and s****peaking with other mechs could help you."**

* * *

><p>"My Liege." Shockwave saluted as he entered the main bridge of the Nemesis. Megatron had summoned him after his meeting with Starscream and Skyfire, and if the coldness in his Leader's voice when he called him through the comm. link was anything to go by, Megatron had not been pleased at all with the new mech.<p>

"Shockwave." The Decepticon leader nodded, acknowledging his Lieutenant's presence and motioning for him to come closer. "Perhaps your skills could be useful with our current predicament."

If he had any, Shockwave would have quirked an optic ridge as he approached.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the rec. room, things were getting more confusing for Skyfire with each passing moment. He had met some new mechs there, Jazz, Brawl and Blurr. First, they had sent him a data package with a new language to learn, and now they were trying to explain to him the meaning of the two different emblems that the crew wore on their frames.<p>

"No, no, you got it all wrong." Brawl said, over the top of an energon cube. "The red insignia is the Autobot's," he pointed at Blurr's chest for emphasis, making the smaller mech flinch slightly in reflex. "And the purple one is the Decepticon's."

"And what's the difference again?"

"Well..." The heavy Decepticon gathered his thoughts for a moment, trying to synthesize a better answer, but failed in his attempt. "Everything!" He finally exclaimed, indignant. Skyfire, sitting at the other end of the table, raised a questioning optic ridge, clearly unconvinced. Fortunately, Blurr was better at giving quick explanations.

"There has been a war while you were in stasis. Our race divided into two factions: the Decepticons, who followed the Leadership of Megatron, and the Autobots, who followed Optimus Prime. The War has lasted thousands of years and has decimated our population. Our planet itself was on the brink of dying, and the Allspark was destroyed." The Autobot explained efficiently.

"What!?" The shuttle exclaimed, horrified by the revelations. "That's... that's terrible! What were you people thinking!? Without the Allspark our race is doomed!"

"It was the Autobot's fault for launching the Cube into space!" Brawl huffed.

"In order to keep it out of Megatron's servos! He wanted to turn it into a weapon!" Blurr snapped, unable to keep his mouth shut at that comment.

"Oh yeah? And what excuse do you have for its destruction at the hands of that human pest and Optimus?" Brawl's armour panels flared out, making him look even bigger.

"To save Earth and stop Megatron once and for all!" Blurr refused to back down in front of the other mech.

"Condemning us all to extinction in the process!" Brawl brought a huge fist down on the table, leaving a dent.

"Humans didn't deserve to suffer because of our mistakes. They were innocent. It was not their fault that the Allspark landed on their planet and they got involved." Blurr said, optics narrowed to slits as he glared at the much larger Decepticon.

Skyfire looked on helplessly between them as Brawl rose from his seat and Blurr tightened his servos into fists.

"That's enough." Starscream intervened, approaching the table and stepping between the two mechs. He had been idly looking by the rec. room's windows until then, but he decided it was the moment to stop a potentially disastrous quarrel. "We have enough problems of our own. I don't need your petty fights added to the list." His tone was calm, but brooked no argument.

Brawl returned to his seat, looking away and venting a gust of warm air with contempt. Blurr crossed his arms across his chest and glared at a distant point in the opposite direction.

"Is that true, Starscream?" Skyfire asked hesitantly, still finding the news too shocking to be true, his mind refusing to acknowledge that the only source of new life of their race was now gone.

Starscream rested both servos on the table, adopting the most neutral expression he could muster. Every optic turned to look at him with a variety of emotions. Some expecting lies. Others expecting half-truths. Others betrayal. And others with plain disbelief.

"It is true that the Autobots destroyed the Allspark in order to stop Megatron and save a world inhabited by sentient life-forms who were not responsible for our mistakes. If it was or was not a fair decision is up to you to decide." He conceded, and paused for some seconds to let the information sink in and give Skyfire time to reflect on his words. "After reviving Megatron using the last remaining fragment of the Cube and another failed attempt at destroying Optimus Prime and his Autobots, the Decepticons retreated for some time. All seemed hopeless, and any attempt at vengeance, pointless." He paused again. "However, that gave us time to think about other solutions and, after some time, we managed to reconstruct the Allspark and save Cybertron."

Skyfire looked positively relieved to know that the Allspark had not been lost.

"So, if the Autobots destroyed the Allspark and the Decepticons reconstructed it, you Decepticons are the good guys?" He asked, unaware of the multitude of disbelieving stares that that question earned him.

"...No." This time it was Jazz who had spoken, his tone unusually grim and serious as his visor dimmed. "Because it was da Decepticons who started da War." He said, clasping his servos over the table and looking back at the seeker.

Skyfire also shifted his attention to Starscream, the mech who had been taking care of him since he was brought out of stasis, who had claimed to have worked alongside him in the Science Academy and who had seemed most worried about his condition.

But Starscream didn't say anything to deny the Autobot's accusation. He just stood there, face-plates set in an emotionless expression.

"You... you can't be serious!" Skyfire rose from the table, indignant. "You have been seriously killing each other for... for..."

"For almost four thousand years." Jazz finished.

"Please, tell me not you too." Skyfire said, directing his words at the seeker.

But again, Starscream remained silent, optics focused on some distant point.

"But... but I thought you said we worked together at the Science Academy!" The shuttle said in disbelief, and the seeker's silence did nothing to stop his growing indignation. "How can a scientist become a soldier, an instrument of war?"

Starscream vented a heavy sigh and turned to walk away, leaving the table in favour of looking out of the rec. room's windows, at the distant points of light scattered across space, at the cold planet below them, anything but Skyfire's hurt optics.

"So, it is true then. You _are_ a killer." Skyfire affirmed.

"I did what I had to in order to survive." Starscream spoke finally, his tone carrying unidentified emotions.

"Everyone did." Jazz added, dedicating a sympathetic glance at the Decepticon Second in Command.

Skyfire, however, couldn't accept any justification for killing other mechs. He didn't remember much of his past, but one thing he knew for certain, was that he would never kill a comrade for any reason. The mere thought of pointing a weapon at a member of his own race made his tanks churn with unease.

"Well, we are trying to amend things now... Trying to leave our differences behind us for the greater good." Blurr rubbed one his arms absently, feeling a little ashamed by how easily Brawl had provoked him earlier.

"Yeah, we are trying to save Cybertron... again." Brawl added, grimacing when Skyfire made a noncommittal noise at the irony. "That's why we came here to rescue you, so that you could help us. Starscream said you were looking for an ancient relic when you crash-landed on that planet."

Starscream's wings twitched almost imperceptibly as Skyfire rose suddenly from the table, his chair falling to the floor behind him with a loud clank.

"You are disgusting. All of you." He paused to stab an accusatory finger at the seeker. "But you, Starscream, you are the _worst_." He seethed, walking towards the unmoving seeker, his four wings flaring out and armour panels bristling in a menacing gesture. "I've been trapped in that frozen wasteland for four thousand years. And when did you decide to come back and look for me? Only when you _needed_ me." He loomed above the smaller seeker, venting a gust of warm air over him, ice blue optics locked onto ruby red ones. "Clearly, I wasn't _that_ important."

Starscream did not move or flinch in the slightest under Skyfire's words, but he felt as if they had pierced through his spark like an energon sword.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the rec. room during which the two fliers held each other's gazes, none of them backing down or saying anything.

After a while, Skyfire simply turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, leaving behind him a speechless seeker and a bunch of shocked mechs. Starscream watched him leave, words and thoughts storming inside his processors, but refusing to come out of his vocalizer.

The other mechs stared at the seeker in stunned silence. If the Decepticon Air Commander was well known for something, it was for his sharp wits and scathing retorts, not for his silence. For him to be in such state, meant that something very grave had happened.

"But don't just stay there! Tell him something!" Brawl barked suddenly, making everyone snap out of their musings.

"...It's true." Starscream murmured absently, letting himself drop onto the nearest chair.

"Ah don't agree." Jazz shook his helm. "Ah think it would be better ta give him some time ta cool off."

"...It's true..." Starscream repeated, ignoring both mechs. "There is nothing I can say to justify my actions." He lowered his gaze to his claws, clutching empty air. "I really did abandon him there. How can I expect him to help me now?"

* * *

><p>Skywarp, Breakaway and Eleonor were headed for the rec. room. She was perched on the black seeker's shoulder, still feeling a little dizzy after the short but intense training session she had just endured. The two jets had been giving her some basic instructions about how to operate the flying controls of her exo-suit. Of course, the refined mechanics of flight while in their aerodynamic alt-modes couldn't compare to the exo-suit-aided hovering and limited flight capabilities, but it wasn't too far different from flying in mech form, and in that task they could offer some good advice.<p>

Eleonor, however, lacked their innate disposition for flight, their lightning reflexes and their self-calibrating gyros, which resulted in a painful amount of... inelegant landings. Of course, she never rose too high above the floor, she didn't reach great speeds and the exo-suit protected her from serious impacts, but still... crashing was not funny at all.

"The others are going to laugh their afts off when I show them the video." Skywarp said, and Eleonor didn't have to look at his face-plates to know that he was currently sporting a wide mischievous grin.

"I think she did quite well, bearing in mind that humans are, by nature, incapable of flight." Breakaway added, still feeling a little guilty after seeing the woman crash so many times without being able to help. But Eleonor herself had insisted that she must learn to do things on her own, no matter the cost. Just like when she had learned to walk with the suit.

"Primus." She sighed in defeat. "I'm not going to live that down, am I?"

"You are the pet of the Air Commander. We can't have you flying like a brick." Skywarp explained, picking Eleonor from his shoulder and cradling her in his servos as if he was about to release a bird into the air. "We are going to turn you into a little..." He paused, searching his data-bases for the correct word. "...Hummingbird!" And with that, he released her into the air with a gentle push.

Eleonor yelped in surprise at the sudden feeling of weightlessness just before gravity claimed her again. She barely had time to ignite the little thrusters attached to the back of her exo-suit to avoid plummeting down like a rock, but that didn't save her from an undignified landing on her butt.

"Skywarp, don't be so mean!" Breakaway sighed with a desperate edge to his voice as he crouched down to pick up the woman. "Are you okay?"

"I'll survive." She replied, and secretly wished for the Librarian to be there and to give the seeker a well-deserved smack to his helm.

"Well, maybe not a hummingbird. How about a hen?" Skywarp asked, after another quick search through his data-bases.

Eleonor gave an aggravated sigh, inwardly wondering how many earthen birds the black seeker could possibly know.

They were about to arrive to the rec. room when a huge, mostly white mech passed by, his steps brisk and his face-plates set in an unfriendly frown.

"Oh, hello! You must be Skyfire..." Eleonor started to say, but she trailed off when the mech simply rushed past them without even a glance in their direction and continued his way down the corridor.

Eleonor, Breakaway and Skywarp exchanged confused looks before finally entering the rec. room. There, they were met with an unusual scene. Starscream was sitting on a chair with a defeated aura, optics focused on some distant point and shoulders dropped, wings tilted at a low angle. Jazz, Blurr and Brawl were looking at him, as if trying to say something but unsure of what to say.

"Oh, oh. What happened?" Skywarp asked as they stepped inside.

* * *

><p>Skyfire walked through the large halls and corridors inside the warship. After some minutes of aimless wandering about, he realized that he didn't know where he was or where to go. He didn't have the plans of the ship, but it didn't matter. He just wanted to get away from that bunch of disgusting mechs, especially that arrogant seeker, Starscream.<p>

The fool even had the gall to claim he was his friend. Hah. He may have spent thousands of years buried in the ice, but he doubted that the definition of 'friend' had changed during his absence, and a 'friend' definitely didn't leave another friend to rot in a distant planet, definitely not for four thousand years and definitely didn't come to rescue him only when he needed a favour.

The nerve!

He stomped a foot on the floor in frustration. Everyone seemed so worried about him when he had come out of stasis. Now he realized they only seemed to worry because they needed him. And they needed him for something he didn't even know. He knew absolutely nothing at all!

He leaned against a bulkhead, the gravity of the situation starting to weigh down on him.

At least if he could remember something about his past he wouldn't be so dependent on others. However, as much as he tried, his memory files wouldn't open. The files were there, he knew it because they took up a measurable space inside his data-banks. But it was as if the memory directions that tagged those files had been deleted or lost. It was like a fortress with his entrance bridges destroyed. He could not access them because there was no path leading to them. He had to rely on what other people told him, and he had no way of telling if they were lying to him.

With a long suffering sigh he let himself slide down until he was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, wondering what to do.

"Hello?" A voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to discover another flier, smaller than Starscream, with a different design and brownish colours.

Skyfire looked away, not in the mood for a conversation.

"Do you mind it if I sit here?" The brown flier asked, although he was already making himself comfortable on the floor, against the opposite wall of the corridor.

"Go away." The shuttle said coldly. "I want to be alone."

"But that's so sad, not having anyone to talk to." The other mech said, refusing to let Skyfire's contempt deter him. "I'm Breakaway. Pleased to meet you."

"For all I know, you could be lying to me and I wouldn't have a clue." Skyfire looked back at him, resentment in his ice blue optics.

"But why would I want to do that?" Breakaway asked in honest confusion.

"Then what do you want?" The shuttle snapped, crossing his arms across his chest-plates and glaring at him.

"I... I just wanted to talk to you about someone-" The Autobot started to say in a soft voice, but the white mech cut him off.

"Oh, yes. Everyone here seems to know a lot about me and about how I should be." Skyfire said sarcastically.

"I wasn't going to talk about you." Breakaway flinched away from the other mech's negative disposition. "I wanted to talk you about Starscream." He said timidly.

"Just what I needed. Starscream sending me his subordinates to try to persuade me." The shuttle huffed in annoyance.

"Starscream didn't send me." Breakaway shook his helm. "In fact, he was so engrossed in his own musings that he didn't notice me sneaking out of the rec. room and following you, and I'm sure I'll get scolded later for acting on my own." He managed to give a small guilty smile.

Skyfire inspected him more carefully with his gaze, and noticed that Breakaway sported the Autobot badge, while Starscream was a Decepticon.

"You were his enemy." The shuttle stated flatly.

"Yes..." The Autobot replied softly, with no small amount of regret. "Although it wasn't always like that." Breakaway looked at Skyfire, and took his silence as a permission to go on. "I also worked at the Science Academy for some time before the War. Starscream probably doesn't remember me, because we didn't really meet each other formally, as we worked in different departments." He paused for some seconds, memories long forgotten resurfacing as clearly as if they had happened yesterday, eliciting an amused chuckle from him. "Well, the truth is that I was merely an errand boy, good for nothing." He admitted. "I was still too young and inexperienced, there were many things I had to study yet, but hey, a young mech could dream! And I dreamed about becoming an explorer. To take flight and travel through distant galaxies, discovering new planets and stars..." He trailed off momentarily, his focus drifting to his memories before returning to the present, to the mech in front of him. "...Just like Starscream and you."

"Starscream... and _me_?" Skyfire asked incredulously.

Breakaway nodded. "I looked up to you two a great deal. You two were the best exploration team in the Academy. Starscream was brave and cunning, facing any danger he might encounter head on. You, on the other servo, were more restrained and prudent, thinking things through carefully before acting."

"I thought this story wasn't about me."

"It is not, but you are indispensable to understand what happened next."

"Go on then."

The Autobot nodded and resumed his story. "Starscream was quite popular and well known in the scientific circles. He was brilliant and intelligent, but had a bad temper and short patience when it came to dealing with setbacks. Fortunately, he had you. You were the one who balanced him. You and your good natured disposition. Your perseverance. Your kindness." He paused. "That's what made your team the best one. The balance." Breakaway shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the next part of the story. "But one fateful day, only Starscream came back from the mission."

"Because he lost me here." Skyfire guessed, and the other mech nodded.

"Starscream tried to assemble a rescue team by all means, but the High Council wouldn't listen to him. Some of them even had the gall to accuse him of abandoning you." Breakaway frowned and shook his helm.

Skyfire made a gesture for Breakaway to pause while he reflected on his story. "How can you be so sure that he didn't abandon me here?" He finally asked, suspicious. "Those members of the Council could have been right in their guess."

"I am so sure because those members of the Council didn't witness what I did. I was on guard duty when Starscream arrived at the Science Academy that day." The Autobot replied, his expression grim. "Starscream was the best flier Cybertron had to offer, and that day, he did something that no one had ever seen him do before." He leaned in, an apprehensive look in his optics. "He _crash-landed_ on the landing deck." Skyfire's optics widened ever so slightly. "I immediately called for the medics and came to his aid. He was barely conscious when he arrived, with serious signs of frostbite all over his frame. His energon reserves were almost depleted, and he couldn't even transform." Breakaway grimaced. "But before he finally went into stasis, he managed to utter three words: _Skyfire needs help_."

The shuttle vented slowly, mulling over Breakaway's words.

"A couple of days after that, when he recovered, Starscream appealed to the High Council, but they denied him their help, alleging that the agitation that had been boiling among the citizens was brewing into a serious conflict, and that they couldn't afford to waste resources in a rescue party with a small chance of success." The Autobot paused for a moment. "I wasn't there, but I was told that Starscream got angry. _Reall__y_ angry. So much that he shot down all the stained-glass windows that decorated the court, bringing down a rain of shards over the members of the Council. Then, he left without another word, and never returned to the Science Academy."

"The next time I saw Starscream was on the battlefield, on opposite sides." Breakaway continued. "He had changed. There was no remorse in his optics, no trace of guilt as he shot down his enemies and rained fire over his targets. Only cold determination. He soon climbed up through the Decepticon hierarchy, and ended up as Megatron's Second in Command. Even today, his ferocity and prowess in battle are feared by allies and enemies alike."

"He turned into a monster." Skyfire growled, taking Breakaway's words as a confirmation of his theories.

"That's what I thought at first." The Autobot nodded. "But I was wrong."

"How so?"

"A monster would never care for anyone but himself. And Starscream clearly does. He cares for his trine-mates, Thundercracker and Skywarp, whom I assume he met later." Breakaway replied, and was distant for a while, recalling a memory from early on in the War. "He shot me down once. He almost killed me..."

"Who?"

"Starscream." The Autobot replied absently. "I remember it painfully clear. He shot me down and came to finish me when I was lying on the ground. He aimed his null-ray at me. I remember the loud whine of the weapon capacitor. He was about to shoot when he... stopped."

"He just stopped?"

"And left." Breakaway's wings stirred behind his back. "I found out later that one of Starscream's trine-mates had been wounded, and he went to his rescue. The mech that wounded his brother, wasn't so lucky, and paid with his life that day." He grimaced. "After that, I became more attentive in battle, and I realized how much Starscream cared for his brothers. They arrived together to the battlefield, and left together. They never fought too far from each other, and if one of them was grounded, the other two immediately flew to his side. The Decepticon elite trine was dangerous in itself, but when one of them was threatened, Starscream became especially violent and deadly."

"Where are we getting at with this story?"

Breakaway stared at Skyfire in silence for some seconds. "Despite what it may seem, Starscream never got over losing you. At least, not completely." Breakaway said bluntly. "I do not know how much you meant to him, but what I do know for sure is that losing you was what made him change. He became fiercely protective of his trine-mates, even to the point of pulling stunts in combat that would be labelled as suicidal by most mechs." He gave a pause, frowning slightly in his musings. "I do believe that after losing you, Starscream promised himself that he would never lose another mech under his command, and to date, he has maintained that promise."

Skyfire shuttered his optics for a moment, reflecting on the Autobot's words. Was all of that true? Had Starscream really changed after losing him in that storm? Or was everything just a trick to lure him into trusting him once again? With his memory files still inaccessible, he had no way of knowing the truth.

"That still doesn't explain why he didn't come to rescue me earlier. As Megatron's Second, it stands to reason that he has a lot of influence. He could have assembled a rescue team once he got enough power or free time." He said, his voice carrying an old resentment.

Breakaway shook his helm. "You still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" The shuttle frowned, disgruntled.

"Think again." The Autobot leaned in. "You don't have your memories, but your personality core is unaffected. Would you have enjoyed to be awoken in the middle of a war? Forced to choose between two sides? Forced to fight? Forced to kill your own kind?"

"But..." Skyfire grimaced, and his voice faltered.

"Starscream knew you very well, and I think that consciously or not, he made a decision." Breakaway continued, undeterred. "As much as losing you affected him, he wouldn't come back for you. He didn't want the War to corrupt you like it did to him, and in doing so, he probably saved you from dying in combat."

Deep anguish and remorse seemed to cross Skyfire's expression. "How would you know...?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Breakaway's wings trembled slightly before dropping low, flat against his back as he recalled the horrors endured in the unending years of conflict. "I know, because I would have done the same in his place." He whispered back.

Skyfire fell into silence for several minutes; Breakaway's revelations lingering in his processors, making him feel inexplicably guilty and uneasy. "And why would Starscream...?" He started to ask, but he trailed off at the end of the question.

"Because, Skyfire, you were-" Breakaway started to reply, not needing to hear the end of the white mech's sentence to know what he was about to ask. However, he didn't get the chance to finish.

"Breakaway." A deep voice spoke suddenly, startling the fliers from their conversation. Both of them looked up to discover a huge mech, slightly smaller than Skyfire but definitely heavier, with thicker and darker armour. His single scarlet optic brightened as he scanned the two fliers sitting on the floor.

"...Shockwave." Breakaway gasped softly, and couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up his spinal struts when that cold gaze landed on him, making his wings tense in reflex. The War could be over, but battle-forged instincts were hard to forget, and the Decepticon Lieutenant was one dangerous and ruthless mech.

"I would like to speak with our guest... _alone_." Shockwave spoke calmly.

Breakaway looked at Skyfire and then back at the Decepticon before he nodded and rose to his feet, finally turning to walk down the corridor, obediently following the order.

Shockwave's deep and smooth voice lingered in his processors as he walked. The Decepticon Lieutenant's voice didn't usually betray emotions, not even in the heat of battle, but when he had spoken there had been something in his tone that Breakaway couldn't quite place. Something that made him shiver with unease and quicken his pace as he headed back to the rec. room.

He had to warn Starscream.

* * *

><p>"As you have already heard, I am Shockwave." The Decepticon introduced himself with a polite nod. "I serve under Megatron's command as his Lieutenant."<p>

Skyfire looked at him, still too shaken by Breakaway's story to properly focus on the mech before him. Shockwave offered him a servo -his only servo, because his other arm was entirely a cannon- to help him stand.

"Breakaway... seemed a little concerned about you." Skyfire stated, his gaze never leaving the imposing Decepticon as he rose to his feet.

"We've been at war for a long time." Shockwave admitted, his tone measured and calm. "The conflict has ended, but old grudges are difficult to forget, and some wounds will take long to heal."

Still, something about the hurried pace at which the Autobot flier had left told Skyfire not to let his guard down.

"Why did you want to talk with me?" He asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

"To offer my help." Shockwave replied. "I'm an expert technician, and I believe my knowledge in data-storage systems could be helpful with your current predicament."

Skyfire looked back at the cyclops mech for some seconds, trying to guess his thoughts. "You mean tinkering with my processors, don't you?" He said slowly, narrowing his ice blue optics.

"That's a less pleasant way to put it, but yes." The Decepticon replied, impassive.

Skyfire studied the other mech for a moment, taking in his stance, his impressive armour, his unreadable face-plates... and then he noticed the casual way in which he was blocking the corridor, his only way out. "Do I really have a choice in this matter?" He asked, his voice calm despite the tension suddenly floating around them.

"You can accompany me willingly... or not." Shockwave replied, dropping any pretensions and stepping towards the white mech. Not his voice, or his stance showed any hint of aggressiveness, but his intentions brooked no argument. That much was clear to Skyfire.

* * *

><p>Brawl, Jazz and Blurr were arguing about the best way to approach Skyfire, brainstorming and throwing ideas back and forth about how to explain the situation to him without hurting his feelings. Eleonor, for her part, decided that she was not the right person to give advice, as she barely knew anything about Skyfire, so she was intently listening to the mechs, trying to learn more.<p>

"I don't believe you, Starscream." Skywarp said, standing beside his trine-leader and brother.

"Well, you'd better do, because it is the truth." Starscream replied slowly, his optics glowing dimly as he gazed through the rec. room's windows into empty space.

"I've known you for a very long time, Starscream. And I know you would _never_ leave a mech under your command behind." The black seeker insisted, wings twitching in irritation behind his back. "Heck, you are one of the few Decepticons who wouldn't."

Starscream gave an aggravated sigh. "It was before the War, Skywarp. Before meeting you and Thundercracker. I was a different mech then... My priorities... were different."

"Then why can't you look at me?" Skywarp growled, grabbing his trine-leader by the shoulder and turning him around so that he had no choice but to meet his gaze. "Look into my optics and tell me you left a friend behind." He said, optics hard as he looked at his brother, something that rarely happened.

The beige seeker growled back and frowned, annoyed by the disrespectful treatment, slapping Skywarp's servo away. "Skywarp, I'm _tired_. Everything is falling on _me_ as of lately and your nagging is the last thing I need right now." His optics narrowed and his wings rose behind his back in a warning gesture.

"This is not _you_, Star." Skywarp shot back, refusing to stand down and using the affectionate nickname, knowing it would have an effect on his brother. "If there is a different Starscream it is the mech I have in front of me right now." He hissed. "The Starscream I know never breaks, no matter how many things fall upon his shoulders. The Starscream I know laughs in the face of adversity before crushing it under his feet. But most importantly, the Starscream I know never gives up a friend."

Starscream's optics widened for a fraction of second, Skywarp's words reigniting a dying ember somewhere inside his spark, and for a moment, he was stunned into silence. His brother was right. This was not him. He was the Decepticon's Second in Command, and he had not reached that place thanks to his good looks, but for his sharp wits and tenacity. He still wasn't sure of how he was going to pull this off, but he was resolved to do it.

It was at that moment that Breakaway burst into the rec. room, an alarmed expression on his features as he made a beeline for the Air Commander.

"Starscream, Sir!" The aerialbot said, coming to a stop next to the seeker.

"Breakaway? Where were you?" Skywarp asked, suddenly realizing that he had lost sight of the Autobot a while ago, distracted by his trine-leader's unusual behaviour.

"I-I wanted to talk with Skyfire..." Breakaway started to explain, but the beige seeker cut him off.

"You did what?" Starscream glared at the Autobot.

Breakaway hesitated, his vocalizer faltering under the disapproving gaze of his current superior, his own wings lowering in shame. He had gone away without express consent, even after Starscream's direct order of not wandering alone around the Nemesis, an order that had been issued mostly for his own safety.

But the aerialbot had wanted to prove his worth, and had tried his best to convince the shuttle on his own anyway.

"I did wrong disobeying your orders, I know, but please listen, I think Skyfire might be in danger!" He blurted out, resolve fuelling him as he recalled the reason for his haste.

Starscream's optics narrowed on the aerialbot. "And what, pray tell, makes you think that?"

"Shockwave came and told me to leave. He wanted to talk to Skyfire _alone_. I'm not sure... but there was _something_ about his tone... something _scary_. I... I don't trust him..." Breakaway tried to explain before realizing how stupid his own words sounded. Optimus had told them to be open-minded and tolerant among the Decepticons, and there he was, openly expressing his mistrust for the Decepticon Lieutenant.

"You want Starscream to go against Shockwave because of a _hunch_?" Skywarp asked curiously, trying to confirm if his deductions were right. He could be careless at times, but even he knew that those kind of accusations should be backed up with facts. An unsettling demeanour wasn't enough. Heck, even _he_ was unsettled by Shockwave's cool attitude and formal tone sometimes, and he was in the same faction.

Starscream, for his part, was following a very different train of thought. It was no secret that the cyclops mech was a brilliant technician. Perhaps, skilled enough to design some way of extracting information directly from a mech's data-banks.

But if Starscream was sure of one thing, was that Shockwave never acted on his own.

"Megatron..." He murmured, optics narrowing to thin ruby slits that glowed with deep-seated hatred.

Skywarp and Breakaway paused to look back at the Air Commander, worry and confusion in their expression.

"Do you think Lord Megatron is behind this?" The aerialbot asked, his stance betraying the anxiety he felt at the mere thought of going against the Decepticon Leader.

"Shockwave never acts on his own. He follows Megatron's orders, and has no qualms about going ahead with them, even if they are... _questionable_." Starscream explained, and turned to contact his Leader via comm. link. After a couple of seconds of unsuccessful attempts, he slammed a servo on the nearest table. Megatron not answering the comm. link only served to confirm his suspicions. He was up to something. Snarling softly, he whirled around, face-plates set in a resolved expression, optics bright and narrowed as he headed for the exit. "Stay here." He growled.

"W-what are you going to do?" Breakaway asked, a shiver running up his spinal struts, his resolve faltering. What if he was wrong? What if Starscream got into a mess because of him?

"I'm going to fix some things and scrap some others." The Air Commander replied before the sound of his footsteps faded down the corridor.

"Now, _that_ is the real Starscream." Skywarp's voice chimed in, a smirk in his tone, and Breakaway could only stare in worry, hoping that the black seeker's confidence was based on solid facts.

* * *

><p>"Is it... going to hurt?" Skyfire asked from his lying position on the circuit slab, directing a sideways glance to Shockwave, who was walking around the laboratory, making adjustments to the machinery surrounding them and typing code into a control datapad.<p>

"No." Shockwave replied, as he plugged another cable into a data-port on the left side of Skyfire's helm, which made the shuttle wince slightly. "But I've been told that it can be... unpleasant." He added, his voice even and detached.

"Okay..." Skyfire murmured, offlining his optics and forcing himself to relax. "Just warn me before you start."

Shockwave nodded and went to the main control panel to start powering up the equipment. A couple of verifications later, he spoke again. "Everything is ready." He came to loom over the white mech, his single optic scanning Skyfire's vitals on a datapad.

"Alright... let's get this over with..." The shuttle murmured, trying to look decided, but failing as his voice quivered slightly.

Shockwave gave a sharp nod and placed his servo on the main control lever, ready to activate the machine that would allow him to access Skyfire's data-banks. After that, it would only be a matter of de-encrypting the corrupted memories until he found what they needed.

"Stop right there!"

Shockwave turned around to discover a very dangerous looking and extremely pissed off seeker in the entrance of the laboratory, null-ray at the ready, its muzzle glowing faintly.

"Starscream." Shockwave acknowledged the Decepticon Second in Command's presence as if he didn't have a gun pointing directly to his chest from across the room. "I'd suggest you put your weapon down. We are trying to perform _delicate_ surgical procedures here." He said calmly.

"You are performing _nothing_ on Skyfire." The beige seeker snarled, his weapon humming softly. "Get away from that lever."

"...Starscream..." Skyfire spoke, turning his helm as much as he could to look at the seeker, which wasn't much, because the multitude of cables connected to his data-ports prevented him from that.

"Don't worry, Skyfire." Starscream said, directing his words to the shuttle without losing sight of Shockwave. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Starscream, stop." The white mech insisted. "I am doing this _voluntarily_. Shockwave said he might be able to access my memory files."

But Starscream seemed unfazed by Skyfire's words. "I don't know what lies Shockwave has told you to convince you to consent to this, but I'm not letting him lay a servo on you. Tampering with a mech's data-banks is a dangerous procedure and I can't risk-"

"He told me that too!" Skyfire interrupted him, and the anger colouring his tone made both the seeker and the cyclops mech stare at him in shock. "In fact, he has done _more_ than most of you here aboard this ship. He has explained _everything_ to me!"

Starscream could only gape in confusion. "What do you mean-"

"I mean _everything_!" Skyfire seemed resolute about not letting the seeker finish a sentence. "The rest of you have been so engrossed with trying not to scare me away, centred in your own problems, worried about my memory loss that you have all but forgotten the main reason why you came to rescue me in the first place!" He pointed at the cyclops mech with a single digit. "Shockwave has been the only one to explain to me what happened. He told me about Unicron. He told me about the weapons. About the fragments of the Star Saber you are looking for. About how both factions were trying to put their differences behind them for the greater good." He gave an exasperated huff. "And yes, he told me about the dangers of this procedure." He paused to let the information sink in. "And I _agreed_."

"Is that... true?" Starscream turned to look at Shockwave, slowly lowering his null-ray gun.

Equally slowly, Shockwave released his hold on the master lever and put his servo away. "It is." He replied, emotionless.

"But what if the surgery damages you further? It could affect your processors, maybe even destroy your memories files before you have the chance of accessing them!" Starscream argued.

"Starscream..." Skyfire said softly, contrasting the seeker's desperate words. "You seem to be the one who worries most about me..." His expression seemed pained as he turned his helm to look away. "I don't know what I meant to you before... but I can't be it any longer. I am not the same mech you knew... I can't be the same without my memories..." He gave a pause, his voice threatening to break.

"You _will_ recover your memories. It's only a matter of time!" Starscream came closer to Skyfire's berth, leaning both servos on it, trying his best to convince the other mech.

"_Time_ is precisely what you do not have." The white mech shuttered his optics, trying to put his thoughts in order. "Look, I've known you for... a very short period of time, during which my opinion about you has gone from confidence to mistrust, from admiration to hate... and then from spite to wonder and a varied array of emotions I can't properly classify..." He trailed off for a moment, and focused again on Starscream. "But right now, I think... I think I _believe_ you. I don't know why exactly, so don't ask me. But the thing is... I _truly_ believe you." He placed one of his servos on Starscream's. "I guess something inside me tells me to trust you." He gave a faint smile. "If this is the only way I can be of help to you, and to your friends... then I think it's worth the sacrifice."

"Don't do this, please." Starscream murmured, feeling his spark shrink in pain inside his chest, his free servo coming to rest above Skyfire's. "I can't risk losing you again." He whispered.

"You are a strong mech, Starscream. You've been doing fine without me for four thousand years." Skyfire said, his features brightening briefly with that spark-wrenching smile of his. "If something happens... I'm sure you'll manage to carry on."

"I can't let you do this..." Starscream's servo tightened his grip.

"But you must." Skyfire said, locking his gaze onto the seeker's. "Starscream, please."

"You matter... I can't..."

"My _knowledge_ is what matters. _I_... do not." Slowly, the shuttle pulled his servo free. "I'm not that important." He murmured, shaking his helm slowly.

"...You are wrong." Starscream whispered, so softly that only he could have heard it.

Shockwave stood near the control panel, patiently waiting in silence, giving the two old friends time to share one last moment in case the shuttle didn't pull through the procedure. Cold and detached he could be, but delaying his orders for a couple of minutes wouldn't affect the result.

Skyfire looked past Starscream and met the cyclops mech's gaze, giving him a faint nod, signalling him that he was ready. Shockwave placed his servo again on the main lever. He was about to pull it down, when he paused and opened a comm. link to Starscream.

::Tell him.::

Starscream looked back to Shockwave, his spark twisting in pain and his expression probably matching what he felt.

::For Primus' sake. Just tell him.:: Shockwave's cold red optic brightened briefly. ::You won't have another chance.::

Something inside Starscream snapped. He had been about to give up, and realizing it made his resolve flare to life again.

"You are wrong! You were _important_. You have _no idea_ of how much." He almost growled, servos balling into fists. "You were important... _to me_. You still are." He admitted.

The white mech stared back at the seeker, locking his gaze onto his and taking in his desperation and grief, wanting to remember. Needing to remember. If not for himself, then for Starscream.

"I needed you then... And _I need you_ now." The seeker grimaced, shoulders sagging and wings dropping low.

Skyfire went very still and his optics widened. Suddenly, he was no longer on a circuit slab in the Nemesis' laboratory.

_He was back on that frozen planet._

_The cold bit at his frame like a furious animal, the icy winds howling around him like a pack of ravenous beasts. __Snow swarmed around him, stinging at the weakest spots of his armour._

_::Skyfire!:: Came the familiar voice over the comm. link._

_::Starscream...?:: Skyfire commed back, trying to pull himself from the frozen ground, his frame suddenly twice as heavy as be__fore, his joints protesting at the effort._

_::Skyfire, do you read me?::_

_::I am here, Starscream. The storm diverted me from my course... I... I've crashed to the ground.::_

_::This isn't funny, Skyfire, answer me! Report your position!:: Starscream's __voice had a desperate edge to it._

_::I'm answering...! Damn it!:: Skyfire cursed his luck as he realized that his comm. unit must have been damaged in the crash. He was receiving Starscream but he couldn't make his messages reach him. ::Starscream I'm here__!:: He tried again, this time using a different array of frequencies, but to no avail._

_::Skyfire! Report!:: Starscream still couldn't hear him._

_The shuttle tried his thrusters, but his engines were so cold that they couldn't start. Looking up to the dark__ening sky above him, Skyfire tried to remain calm. He had to keep himself focused. He had to find a way to make his signal reach Starscream. But everything was becoming harder. His processors felt sluggish. His frame, heavy. The cold was starting to seize __his systems at an alarming rate, and there was little he could do to delay it._

_Maybe rerouting his energon flow could gain him some time. He increased the power of his heating system and cut the energon flow to limbs, wings and thrusters, diverting all av__ailable heat and power to his vital systems and processors._

_Grimacing when his outer armour and lines started to freeze, Skyfire activated a distress beacon, hoping that the signal could make it through the storm and the dampening effect of the ice._

_It d__idn't._

_It took Skyfire around a week to lose all consciousness and undergo stasis-lock._

_But the worst part was having to hear Starscream's desperate calls through the comm. link, powerless, unable to reply to him._

_::Skyfire... I... I'm running out of __fuel." His voice sounded broken by then. "I'm going back to Cybertron to get help. I'll come back for you. I promise._

"_Starscream..." The shuttle whispered, though he knew nobody could hear him._

_::Please, Skyfire, don't be dead... _I need you._:: Was the l__ast thing Skyfire received before he lost all consciousness of himself._

"Star..." Skyfire's voice was so soft that it was barely audible, and yet, it sounded like the loudest shout in Starscream's audios.

There was something in his tone that hadn't been there before. The closeness of the nickname, the familiar edge in the voice.

And when Starscream looked back at him, he was met with familiar optics that shone kindly, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his mouth-plates. "You came back for me," was all Skyfire said.

The Decepticon Second in Command could only give a hint of a smile, feeling how all the stress melted away, leaving his spark at ease.

At the other end of the laboratory, Shockwave, released his hold on the control lever and slowly made his way towards the exit, stopping only to turn off some terminals.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll leave you two to catch up." The cyclops mech said evenly. "My job here is done."

"You must mean that your job wasn't necessary." Starscream corrected him.

"Are you sure of that?" Shockwave asked calmly, turning to give the two flyers a glance over his shoulder, his single optic brightening with an unidentifiable emotion before he exited the lab.

* * *

><p>Later, when Starscream went to disconnect Skyfire from the data transfer cables attached to the data ports of his processors, he discovered that the cables led to...<p>

...Nowhere.

They hadn't been attached to any machine.

* * *

><p><em>[The rec. room. A couple of hours later.]<em>

"So, you never had the intention of doing anything to Skyfire?" Breakaway asked, nursing a cube of energon between his servos, still looking at the Decepticon Lieutenant in a mix of respect and fear.

"Being an expert technician is one of my talents, but not the only one." Shockwave replied, faintly shrugging a single shoulder. "Sometimes, Lord Megatron requires me for my best skill."

"Which is...?" Jazz asked, leaning casually on the table, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, visor bright in amusement.

"I believe humans call it... _poker face_." Shockwave revealed. His unreadable face-plates betrayed no emotions, and his tone was even and detached, but his frame was radiating an almost palpable aura of smugness.

Megatron had been right when he had said that Starscream worked better under pressure. In the direst situations was when the Second in Command shone brightest, and the Decepticon Leader knew very well how to bring that out of him.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]:** First of all, sorry for the long wait. I was stuck during a long time with this chapter. I didn't know how to overcome the problems and barriers I had set for the characters. Also, real life has been difficult lately. I think the song _'The Scientist'_ by _Coldplay_ gave me a little final push to finish this. I hope the chapter is up to the expectations after so long. I put a lot of effort into it. Poor Starscream. All the emotional load had been weighing upon his shoulders lately. Breakaway's intervention was also nice to write. But my favourite of this chapter must be Shockwave :)

Just in case we can't speak again before the end of the year, I'd like to take advantage of the moment to wish you all a happy new year :D

**PD:** Special thanks to angelcakes19 for beta-reading this and putting up with me.


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